Just one look
by Kb.Ellen
Summary: Kurt thought that the New Directions were full of drama, but it looks like the Warblers might give them a run for their money. Mainly Klaine, but other characters will come up as well. Rated T but may change to M later on.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi! I guess I should preface everything with saying that I've never written a fanfic before but I adore reading them, so I thought I would try my hand at writing my own. I'm really not sure how this story is going to pan out. I've done some rough pre-writing and outlining, but if I'm being honest with myself, I know that my mind always carries me in a completely different direction. Please review and let me know what you think so far. I promise that it will get better once I get the story set up. It will be angsty, fluffy, maybe a tad bit of smut, who knows! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee **

**Chapter 1**

A dark sky framed the enormous stone walls of Dalton in an ominous way. The wind whipped through the trees and sent leaves flying to the ground and across the campus and, well, everywhere really.

"This sure is something…" Burt Hummel muttered quietly from the front seat of the pickup truck as his eyes scanned the sight that was Dalton Academy.

"Not just something. It's a freaking castle dude." Finn's face was smashed up against the window in awe, and it was only this awe that kept Finn from screaming the words in his usual over exuberant way. Instead they came out in a dazed sort of whisper.

Kurt sat quietly in the back seat; thoughts zinging around in his head so fast that he was getting a little dizzy. Or perhaps that was because of the nerves. Either way, Kurt was starting to wonder if his brilliant idea to flee to Dalton was really all that brilliant.

Sure, the bullying was bad, but he was giving up some pretty incredible stuff as well. He was giving up his family, who would now be 2 hours away. Not to mention his other family: Glee club. Their group had become somewhat inseparable. Even though they fought like brothers and sisters (or in Puck and Finn's case, UFC fighters) at the end of the day, they had each other's backs. There was love between each and every one of them and here Kurt was, just turning his back on it all.

Then Kurt remembered his back. His back that was covered in bruises from the locker shoves that came each and every day. He remembered his favorite blue sweater that was stained beyond repair. He remembered the kiss. He remembered Karofsky's mouth on his. Then he remembered that same mouth pouring out threats of harm and humiliation, and finally death. He had thought that maybe, with the threat of death hanging over his head, Karofsky realized just how much power Kurt had over him. Instead, Karofsky saw his threat as insurance. As long as he was hanging the guillotine blade over Kurt's neck, he was free to do what he pleased, like send Kurt lustful gazes or brush his thigh as he walked passed.

Kurt was terrified. He was exhausted with all the worry. Even though he knew that he held the power by knowing Karofsky's secret, he felt so incredibly weak. He didn't _want _to out Karofsky, because no one deserved that. He just wanted to be able to walk down a school corridor without the fear of violence or Karofsky's advances around every corner.

Kurt shook his head to dislodge the thoughts of his old school from his mind. Instead, he focused on the beautiful architecture that Dalton flaunted. The school was obviously old and of high class. It screamed of privileged upbringings and sophistication. He marveled at the stone work and well-manicured landscaping.

Burt squeezed the truck into a too-small parking spot and darted inside to grab Kurt's room assignment and schedule. It was a Friday afternoon so it wasn't urgent for Kurt to have it now, but he thought at least he could explore the campus over the weekend and find all of his classes.

In the silence of the truck, Kurt and Finn sat staring out their windows.

Without removing his gaze from the sprinkles of rain starting to fall on the glass, Finn sighed quietly. "You sure about this man?"

Instead of snapping at Finn for calling him _man, _Kurt just replied, "I think so…yeah."

Finn nodded and kept his gaze trained out the window.

Burt eventually made his way back out to the truck where he made a couple turns before pulling up to yet another stone building with huge doors. A man stood out front in the now pouring rain, wearing a jacket with the hood up. His eyes glanced up when the truck stopped in front of the doors. His eyes locked with Kurt's and didn't let go.

Kurt's heart stopped for a moment and then picked up double time. He hadn't told Blaine about the transfer for a couple reasons. At first, it was because he wasn't sure he would be accepted, but when Dalton informed him that they would happily take him in, Kurt started to wonder if Blaine would even _want _Kurt there. It was one thing to text each other and occasionally meet for coffee, but what if Blaine thought he was some sort of creepy stalker now? What if Blaine thought he was following him? What if Blaine didn't think of him as a friend? What if, what if, what if. In the end Kurt had just decided that he would do something fun and lighthearted like casually say hi to Blaine in the hallway, or come up behind him and ask 'Guess who?', but with Blaine standing in the rain, shoulders hunched, hands in pockets, eyes swamped with concern and confusion, boring into his, all of Kurt's cute little scenarios washed away with the rain.

Ignoring his clothes for once, Kurt stepped out of the truck and into the downpour. He stood, rooted in his spot for a moment, eyes still locked with Blaine's. He took a few hesitant steps forward and then, taking a steadying breath, he balled his fists up and clenched his jaw and forced himself to walk to Blaine and face whatever it was that made his gaze so intense with worry.

As he finally cleared the few steps up to the doors, Blaine moved forward smoothly; without an ounce of hesitation, wound his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled him into a snug embrace.

Well, this was _not _what Kurt had imagined. Not that he was complaining. One doesn't complain when the boy you're crushing on holds you tight.

As Kurt relaxed out of his rigid, shocked posture, he melted into Blaine's arms and wrapped his around Blaine's shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked in a soft, slightly broken whisper.

Kurt's breath hitched slightly at the emotion in Blaine's voice. It sounded like he was crying. He felt his own tears pooling behind his eyelids and fought to keep them in, even though his entire face was already drenched in rain water.

"Kurt?" Blaine whimpered, scared when Kurt didn't reply. "Please tell me you're okay." His arms pulled Kurt tighter against his body.

Kurt pushed passed his confusion at Blaine's reaction and swallowed thickly. "Yes."

Blaine continued to hold him in the pouring rain as Burt and Finn watched silently from the truck. Not wanting to interrupt whatever this moment was, they sat patiently in the truck, out of the rain.

Kurt may not have known why Blaine was holding him, or what Dalton was going to be like, but it had to be better than McKinley.

Well everything was better when Blaine was there.

**A/N: Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Uhhh, so Wow! Thank you so, so much to all of you that added this story to your alerts or favorites! And thank you to those of you who reviewed! It was completely unexpected and really means so much to me so thank you! I actually really ended up liking this chapter, and I feel like it helps move the story forward a little bit. It also ended up being a lot longer than I originally thought it would be, but I'm not complaining ; )! Anyways, I'll shut up now! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 2**

As the last box was stacked in Kurt's new room, Burt moved forward and planted his large, calloused hands on his son's shoulders.

Kurt let his eyes drink in the sight of his father. He would miss his dad more than anything else he was leaving behind. They had been through so much together, and his dad had protected him through it all. He held him when he cried over a splinter when he was 6. The held him when his mom died of cancer at 8. He held him even when he couldn't tell him that the bullying had gotten so out of control. Burt had always just held Kurt, no questions asked, and never let go.

But it was time to let go.

Burt kept his gaze steady, hands still holding Kurt in place. "I love you. Don't ever forget that."

Kurt's eyes were blurring over with tears. Opting for a nod of the head, for fear that his voice would be too weak, Kurt sank into his dad's arms and held tight, face buried in the old denim jacket that smelled of oil, dirt, and home.

"You are loved," Burt forced out in a choked whisper. Burt Hummel was never one for words, and was awkward with the expression of feelings but he needed to make sure that his son knew this.

"I love you too dad." Kurt breathed, tears running calmly down his face.

Burt finally sighed and pulled back, holding Kurt at arm's length.

Finn appeared over his shoulder, finally breaking his silence. "And just remember man, we're only a call or click away, day or night."

"You sound like an infomercial." Kurt laughed out. "When people don't know what to say, they usually pick up their sentiments from a Hallmark card, not QVC." He tried to lace his comment with his trademark snarky bite, but he couldn't keep out the affection.

Finn shrugged with a small smile on his lips, looking down almost shyly. "Well, I just…I'll miss you man," shrugging again, he lifted his eyes to Kurt's and added, "you're my brother …"

Kurt laughed lightly despite the tears still squeezing out of his eyes slowly and calmly. He moved forward and pulled Finn into a hug. "I'll miss you too, _man_," Kurt teased, playfully adding emphasis to the 'man'.

Burt and Finn finally backed out of the door slowly and with a final wave, disappeared down the hall.

Kurt turned and let out the deep breath he didn't even notice he had been holding.

"Want some help unpacking?"

Kurt whirled around at the sudden voice. Standing in his doorway, changed into dry sweats and t-shirt, with hair washed clean of all gel, was Blaine.

"Do you want me to have a heart attack? Why are you everywhere today?" Kurt tried to lighten the mood.

Smirking back at Kurt, Blaine eased slowly into the room, hands buried in his pockets. "Oh you know, just teleportation. It's quite useful when appearing out of nowhere. And I repeat: Do you want help unpacking?"

Chuckling slightly, Kurt gestured to his boxes with a raised eyebrow. "Do you really want to face _all this _right now?" Kurt moved his hands wildly to emphasis the massive pile of boxes and suitcases.

Blaine scrunched his eyebrows up and quirked his mouth into an inquisitive pout, squinting at the daunting task as if he was really weighing the pros and cons. "Yeah, no, not really," he concluded. "Food?" he tacked on with raised eyebrows.

"Sure, I could eat." Kurt managed to smile back.

And that's how, 40 minutes later, Kurt found himself with a stomach full of Chinese takeout and a happy grin sitting on the floor of Blaine's dorm room (which just happen to be a couple doors down) across from the beautiful Warbler himself.

They had been sitting in a comfortable silence for the past few minutes, when Kurt mumbled, "Why _were _you everywhere today?" bringing up his unanswered question from earlier.

Straightening from his relaxed position against the side of his bed, Blaine sighed deeply. "Well, Wes, you remember Wes, right? The Asian guy you met when you spied? Well, he's an aid in the administration office and he overheard the dean talking about you're transfer. He told me cause he assumed that I already knew, which I didn't." He looked poignantly at Kurt; silently inquiring why it was that Kurt hadn't told him.

Taking his silent queue, Kurt explained. "Well, at first I wasn't even sure that Dalton would accept me. I mean, it's the end of September, so I understand it could come as an inconvenience to the school. But then they sent me that little 'Congratulations, you've been accepted' letter in the mail, and I kind of, I don't know, freaked out."

"Define freaked out." Blaine said, eyes full of confusion and concern.

"I just, gah, Blaine! The only reason I even _considered _Dalton was because you seemed to love it and it's no bullying policy! And I always kind of felt like you were, I don't know, encouraging me to come to Dalton? Like it was some sort of gay utopia! But then I realized that you more just relaying facts to me, not a preference to have me here! And I was scared that you would think I was some stalker or something who was obsessed with you or-"

Kurt cut off abruptly when he heard Blaine start laughing. His face was red with relief and his laugh, even though confusing to Kurt, was still beautiful.

In an unexpected move, Blaine leaned forward and pulled Kurt into a snug embrace. Still chuckling, Blaine explained, "How could you think that I wouldn't want you here? You're my friend, Kurt. Of course I want you here."

Kurt relaxed into Blaine's hug and sighed when he pulled away with an amused gleam still in his eyes.

"And for the record, if anyone looks like a creepy stalker, it's me," Blaine said, "what, with me waiting for you out in the rain on the stoop to our dorm building."

Ignoring the thrill that shot through him as Blaine referring to something as _theirs_, Kurt remembered one of his questions from earlier.

"Speaking of which, what was with all the dramatics? And how did you know when and where I would be arriving?" Kurt tried to keep his voice sounding off hand, but knew that he wasn't completely successful.

"Well I knew you were in my dorm building, Richardson, because that was one of the things Wes overheard in the admin. Office and told me about. And well, when we were texting earlier, you said you had to go. I said bye and you said 'see you soon'. I just sort of took a leap of faith after that I guess."

"I said what?" Kurt asked confused, whipping out his cell phone to check his sent box. Sure enough, his last message to Blaine read 'see you soon'. Damn, he must have been out of it. _I guess I was sort of dazed. _Kurt thought.

Kurt looked up to see Blaine smirking at his shocked expression. Dipping his head back down he asked again, "And the dramatics?"

Blaine knew that Kurt was asking about the hug. Asking about his tears. Asking why he had been so concerned. Blaine considered lying but then realized that he didn't have any good lies for this. _Naw, I wasn't crying Kurt. It was just allergies. To rain. Yup, I'm allergic to rain. It makes me sniffle and act all moody. It's weird. Rainatitus. _Yeah, Kurt would give him the best 'Bitch please' glare of the century, but he knew that his only option was the truth.

Taking a deep breath Blaine murmured, finally sobered up from his amusement earlier. "It's just…I know what Karofsky did to you," Blaine paused and looked up to meet Kurt's eyes, gaging his reaction to the name.

_Well, the kiss, _Kurt thought, _not the death threat. _But he just nodded instead, showing Blaine that it was okay for him to continue.

"And you stayed Kurt," Blaine trudged ahead. "You stayed and fought. So when I heard that you were transferring out of the blue, I kind of freaked out, because I figured that something must have happened, something big, to get you to transfer. Because if what _he _did to you wasn't enough, then I was scared that something even worse had happened…" he said the word 'he' with such disgust that Kurt felt almost shocked. Shocked that someone cared that much for him.

Kurt was still stunned into silence by Blaine's protectiveness that he missed what Blaine said; so quietly that it almost sounded like a breath rather than words.

"What?" Kurt asked.

Sighing, but keeping his eyes downcast Blaine repeated, "I just hate thinking that you're in pain."

Kurt simply stared at him for a few moments, fairly certain that he wouldn't be able to find his voice unless he put up wanted posters for it.

"I'm not in pain." Kurt said, trying to make his voice sound reassuring. "Well, not anymore," he amended.

Blaine finally looked up, his eyes still clouded with worry. "So nothing happened? Nothing bigger than…than the uh, the kiss?"

As much as Kurt hated lying to Blaine, he hated seeing him this bogged down with worry more. Deciding that Blaine didn't need to be bothered with the knowledge of his death threat, he simply said, "No. I was just tired of it all. I knew Dalton was a place full of acceptance, so I felt crazy that I hadn't even given it a try yet." He shrugged, hoping that he looked nonchalant.

Blaine's gaze was intense upon Kurt, like he was trying to determine the validity of the statement. He didn't fully believe that _nothing _had happened, but he figured that Kurt would tell him on his own time.

"Well, I'm glad you're here." Blaine smiled. "I can show you around campus tomorrow if you like."

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Kurt responded politely.

"_That would be wonderful, thank you." _Blaine mocked. "Come on! This is Kurt Hummel, diva extraordinaire! Polite is so not you're game!" he teased.

"Fine." And in an extreme act of maturity, Kurt stuck his tongue out at Blaine and followed up with, "how about, 'Finally slave boy, you understand you're place! To serve me! The magnificence that is Kurt Hummel! Bow down!" both boys giggling throughout Kurt's theatrics.

"That's my Kurt." Blaine said simply.

And with that one sentence, Blaine convinced Kurt that fleeing to Dalton was, in fact, still a brilliant idea, and would remain, as long as he got to be_ Blaine's_ Kurt.

**A/N: Please review! Pretty please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Once again, to all of you who are following or reviewing or adding me or my story to your favorites, well you're MY favorites(I know that's cheesy, but just go with it), so thanks bunches! Anyways, I started this chapter a little shaky I think, but it turned out quite nice if I do say so myself. I wanted something to add a little fun, because the last 2 chapters have been a lot more dramatic than I thought they would be! And I thought it was high time I added some music! I mean, come on, it's Glee! So I'll be quiet now and let you read! As always, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee **

**Chapter 3**

Kurt awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and anxious. It was the official beginning of his new beginning and for that he was glad. But with about a thousand boxes to unpack, a campus to explore, and academics to start catching up on, Kurt was starting to feel the pressure. _And I haven't even been to my first class yet! _Kurt thought.

After showering, he dressed in a simple blue v-neck t-shirt, black skinny jeans and his favorite black boots.

A knock sounded on his door as he finished styling his hair into his signature coif. He went to go answer the door only to find his favorite Warbler, smiling too charmingly for the early hour.

"I've come to collect you for breakfast." Blaine stated.

"Well, I thought I would skip breakfast actually." Kurt started, but was cut off by Blaine's gasp of shock.

"Skip breakfast? As in avoid food? But-…wait, what?" He looked like he was having a hard time comprehending Kurt's words.

Laughing, Kurt explained, "Yes, skip breakfast. It's just, that I have so much unpacking to tackle and a lot to prepare before class starts on Monday and I wanted to tour th-hey!"

Smiling, Blaine just threw an arm around Kurt's shoulders, and started leading him downstairs to the cafeteria. "Kurt, you'll have plenty of time to get everything squared away before Monday. Plus," he moved his arm down to wrap around Kurt's waist snuggly, giving him a playful tug, "you need to eat more. You're so skinny!" he teased.

Pulling free of Blaine's grasp, Kurt swatted at his shoulder. "Oh shut up! You make me sound like I'm a fragile little doll or something!" However Kurt allowed Blaine to lead him to the cafeteria.

The boys sat down and had a quick breakfast, well quick for Kurt, who ended up eating fruit salad. Blaine on the other hand had bacon, eggs, toast, sausage and an enormous glass of milk. Blaine called it a pretty tame breakfast for him; Kurt called it a heart attack waiting to happen. When they had finished eating, Blaine led Kurt outside, out onto the beautiful grounds of Dalton.

"Where is everyone?" Kurt finally mused. He had been curious since arriving to a fairly deserted dormitory last night.

"Most of the guys who board go home for the weekend. I'll introduce you to some of the guys when they come back Sunday night." Blaine answered.

"Why didn't you go home?"

Blaine shrugged his shoulders and diverted his eyes down to the pavement. "I usually stay here over the weekend. My dad just sort of makes things a little…tense I guess…" Blaine trailed off, clearly hoping to drop the conversation.

Catching on to Blaine's hint, Kurt plucked his schedule from his pocket and thrust it towards Blaine. "Hey, see if we have any classes together!" he asked a little too excitedly in his quest to clear out the after taste of the conversation.

Blaine scrunched his eyes up as he peered at the schedule, but broke into a wide grin when he realized a few of the classes. "Looks like we have world history and chemistry together."

Blaine proceeded to walk Kurt around the campus, pointing out the buildings where his classes would be. He showed Kurt the two other dorm buildings besides Richardson. They were named Thorne and Johnston, all named after founders of Dalton. The school had apparently been founded back in the late eighteen-hundreds, hence the elaborate stone work and wrought iron fences that made up the beautiful architecture of Dalton. The buildings made up the borders of the grounds, with all the space in between dedicated to artful landscaping and quaint walking trails to take students from one building to the next.

Kurt was admiring the seamless incorporation of nature when Blaine suddenly turned towards a building and yanked the front door open. Wordlessly, Kurt followed, curious as to where Blaine was taking him.

Blaine stopped in front of a pair of large double doors and sent a mischievous smirk over his shoulder at Kurt, who stood apprehensively waiting. He flung the doors open to reveal a room that Kurt had seen once before: the Warblers practice room.

"And this," Blaine gestured to the room broadly as he sauntered forward, "Is the fabulous Dalton Academy Warbler's rehearsal room."

"Well, I don't know about that." Kurt teased, slowly entering the room, as he gazed around. He ran a finger along the spines of some of the books perched on the massive oak shelves that lined the fireplace. "I mean, how fabulous can they be when I haven't even joined yet?"

Blaine chuckled lightly, shaking his head as if almost acknowledging some truth in Kurt's statement. They had been teasing each other a lot today. Blaine guessed it was because of how serious they had been with each other last night. Now, they were trying to go back to how it was before; they were trying to act normal. But Blaine didn't feel normal. He felt like things had changed and changed for good. The night before, Blaine had had this intense need to protect Kurt. It was so intense that he found himself reaching out to hold Kurt much more than he usually would allow himself to. They were open and honest and helped each other through small tribulations. He had felt needed. He had felt wanted. The way Kurt had clung to him made him feel like he was important. And while he didn't want to always be so serious, Blaine ached for that closeness again. He wanted the vulnerability, because Kurt was beautiful when he wasn't hiding away. Then again, Blaine always thought Kurt was beautiful.

"So do you know what you're going to sing for your audition yet?" Blaine asked, snapping himself out of his reverie.

"Not really." Kurt mused, "But I'll think of something."

"You know what I'm thinking?" Blaine asked with raised eyebrows and an excited voice.

"…what?" Kurt asked carefully; he could see that playful glint in Blaine's eyes.

_I want it, I need it, I want somebody_

Blaine sang out of nowhere with his usual confidence, and was that…no it couldn't be. _Is that a flirty look?_ Kurt wondered. Pushing his thoughts aside, Kurt joined in on the second line.

_I want it, I need it, I want your eyes to turn_

_I need it, I want it, I want somebody baby_

Blaine spun in a tight little turn and belted out solo,

_Now this is my turn!_

Continuing on his little solo, Blaine moved from across the room, slowly making his way over to Kurt.

_I don't want any more doors_

_Cause I'm walking on the string_

_They only slam anymore_

_Like we're pulling out teeth_

By this time, Blaine had reached Kurt and was standing in front of him staring straight into his eyes, swaying to the beat in his head.

_And I could just see his eyes_

The pronoun change from 'her' to 'him' was not lost on Kurt. The blush that was spreading on his cheeks was evidence of that. Blaine then ducked behind Kurt and put his hands on the taller boy's upper arms and propped his chin up on one of those broad shoulders and sang:

_Just above his shoulder_

Spinning away, Blaine continued with his solo.

_And you were scanning the skies for me_

_I dreamt like you were some long-forgotten soldier_

Then with a sweet smile aimed straight at Kurt, with the intent to charm he sang:

_Like I was someone that you cared for_

_I want it, I need it_

And Kurt couldn't hold back anymore. He swayed forward gracefully, joining his voice with Blaine's as the chorus came around again.

_I want it, I need it, I want somebody_

_I want it, I need it, I want your eyes to turn_

_I need it, I want it, I want somebody baby_

_Now this is my turn!_

_Ooooooooo!_

The boys danced around like children high off of sugar. Having completely too much fun, Kurt took the next verse, sobering up some as he realized just how much the lyrics hit home for him.

_I don't want any more heart break_

_I'm tired of the sound it makes_

_Like trying to shut out the dark at night_

_You close your eyes but it won't erase_

Blaine's eyes never moved from Kurt as he watched him sing. He knew the words meant something to him by the level of sheer magnetism in his eyes. Kurt had been hurt but the small, reassuring smile on his lips showed Blaine that he hadn't given up. He would always keep trying.

Breaking from the slightly serious tone that he had adopted for a moment, Kurt sidled up to Blaine's side and bumped their shoulders singing the next few lines.

_And you were walking beside_

_Some other person's shadow_

_And it was more than I could take_

_I wouldn't see what I couldn't know_

_That there might be somebody after me_

_Ohhh, I want it, I need it_

They joined forces on the chorus yet again; Kurt's lilting voice fitting with Blaine's smooth, deeper voice to perfection. When the final verse came up Blaine sang out solo.

_I need that new vacation_

_Where nothing that's spoken is known_

Kurt took over the next two lines:

_Let the winter be my station_

_I'll let the cold teach me what to know_

And, looking into one another's eyes, they sang the next line together.

_That there might be somebody after me_

Both boys noticed a hint of hopefulness in the other's eyes when the line was sung. Hope that the other boy did want them. But both boys also wrote it off as wishful thinking. Pushing ahead, they finished up the song while dancing around the room, giggling the whole way through.

_I want it, huh_

_I need it, ooo_

_I want it, Whoa-oh!_

_I want it, I need it_

_I want it, I need it, I want somebody_

_I want it, I need it, I want your eyes to turn_

_I need it, I want it, I want somebody, baby_

_Now this is my turn!_

_Ooooooo!_

A little breathless from all the singing and dancing, Kurt broke into a huge grin and laughed a little on the shaky side.

"Well, if only the rest of the Warblers had been around for that!" Blaine said, smiling back. "You would have made it in easily with a performance like that!"

"Well, you make a good duet partner." Kurt blushed as the words left his mouth, but he didn't take them back. After all, it was just the truth; they did sound incredible together. "I like singing with you." _And _there's_ the embarrassing part. I sound so obviously lovesick. _Kurt thought to himself. _And to think, I was doing so well before that!_

The comment didn't seem to faze Blaine though. Instead, his grin just widened as he replied, "Anytime," and blushed a little bit himself.

_Is he blushing? _Kurt was baffled, but the sight of those rosy cheeks made him giddy; made him hopeful. Hopeful that maybe Blaine had felt that electricity in the air as they sang. Hopeful that is wasn't all just wishful thinking.

**A/N: The song in this chapter is Somebody by Jukebox the ghost! And, as always, please, please review! I really want to know what you guys are thinking of the story so far!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks again to all of you who favorited my story! Still actually kind of shocked that people are reading this : P This chapter is a little shorter and to be honest I wasn't really feeling it, but I think it's because I have some really good ideas for later chapters and I'm just really anxious to get to some juicer stuff, which I promise is coming! Just stick with me, I promise it will only get better! Anyways, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 4**

Packing really isn't that hard. All you have to do is throw anything you think you might possibly, at some point, need into a box and call it done. Unpacking, however, was a very different story, Kurt was finding out.

It was well passed lunch time on Sunday and Kurt was still hard at work organizing his massive wardrobe, which he had saved for last. It would have been easier to throw each clothing item on a hanger and hang it in the closet, or adopt The Finn Method, which consisted of wadding the garment up and tossing it onto the closet floor, and hoping the doors would shut to hide the chaos inside, but Kurt was meticulous about his wardrobe, and believed in organizing it to perfection.

As Kurt moved on to coats, he heard a light knock on his door. "It's open." He called.

The door slammed open to reveal a frazzled Blaine wearing an apologetic expression. He leapt forward with his arms extended and spread wide, with wary eyes that looked from side to side before locking on to Kurt and explaining in a hurried stumble of words.

"I'm so sorry about this, but I promise, they will be on their best behavior or I will physically drag them from the room. I know you're stressed and trying to get everything organized before classes begin tomorrow, but this will only take like 2 minutes tops, I swear but-"

"Blaine." Kurt tried, and failed, to gain the Warbler's attention.

"They just, well, they've kind of heard a lot about you and they're super curious because, well honestly they're like puppies excited about a new toy. And I mean, I know you technically met them, but you don't really _know _them, and they can be a little much at first-"

"Blaine!" Kurt tried again louder

He finally froze his frantic spiel and stared, wide eyed, at Kurt.

"Okay, so back up," Kurt said slowly, trying to calm the obviously worried boy, whilst keeping the smirk off of his face; Blaine was actually pretty cute when he wasn't so smooth and collected, "who's coming to meet me?"

"Your soon to be best friend!" said a tall black guy in the door way, "and Wes." He added, pointing to the slightly shorter Asian guy over his shoulder.

Wes elbowed David in the ribs- the smile never leaving his face-and strode into the room.

"Kurt this is Wes and David, you remember them right?" Blaine said through clenched teeth. He shot the two boys in the doorway a warning look. Warning of what, Kurt wasn't so sure, so he just nodded to signal that he did.

"So," Wes said, bouncing on his toes and hitching his eyebrow suggestively, "this is the famous Kurt? We've heard oh so much about you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Blaine turn a shade red and had to wonder what he had been telling Wes and David.

"More specifically, we've heard so much about your eyes, your hair, that angelic voice of yours, and how skinny jeans hug you so-"

Wes stopped when he noticed Blaine, who was now a brilliant shade of fire engine red, choking on nothing.

"You okay buddy?" David chimed playfully, moving into the room to slap Blaine on the back. Wes stood next to David, with his arm thrown around his shoulders, looking pleased with himself.

Blaine, still coughing slightly and doubled over a little, grabbed onto David's nearby arm as if he needed the support. He suddenly yanked him down which brought Wes down too because of his arm around David. Whispering through clenched teeth, he alerted his odd little huddle of friends of the nightmares they would endure if they continued with their line of conversation. Gulping and nodding their eyes, the three boys straightened up and looked back to Kurt.

Kurt stood across the room, frozen mid-fold of his favorite green t-shirt. His face was epically confused and he seemed a little concerned at their mental health.

"Soooo…" David tried to sooth the awkward silence that had ensued, "how about this weather?" he said it as if it were a question.

"Okay," Blaine clapped his hands and popped his lips, and started to push them to the door, "time to go do your homework, or find some food, or something." And with one final shove, he had them in the hallway, where he shut the door soundly in their apologetic faces.

Sighing, Blaine rested his forehead on the door and mumbled, "or find a cliff to throw your selves off of."

Kurt remained silent, but resumed putting his wardrobe in order, trying not to look curious in the least as to why Wes had said such things.

Blaine finally turned and looked up bashfully from under his lashes. _God he's beautiful _Kurt couldn't help but think. "Sorry about that." Blaine said, still slightly pink in the face and rubbing a hand on the back of his neck nervously.

"It's okay." Kurt said simply. He looked up and smiled at Blaine to show him that it really didn't bother him.

Blaine moved forward, next to Kurt, to start pulling clothing on the hangers and then he would hand them to Kurt so he could place them in the perfect spot in the jam packed closet. They worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Kurt just had to know.

"What did Wes mean when he said they had heard so much about my eyes and hair and stuff?"

Blaine froze for a second but quickly recovered and resumed his action, and picking up the next hanger. Keeping his eyes down he tried to sound nonchalant. "Oh, don't listen to him," he said shrugging and glancing up at Kurt, trying to gage his response. "He's just being his usual obnoxious self." A flash of disappointment swept Kurt's features before he quickly hid it away behind a neutral expression.

Blaine knew that even though it was partly the truth, (Wes really could be annoying…and he meant that in a loving way) it wasn't the whole story. Since the day he, along with Wes and David, had met Kurt as the McKinley spy, Blaine had been smitten to say the least. Wes and David were the only guys at Dalton who knew what Kurt looked like, or that he even existed. After the first coffee 'date' Blaine and Kurt had, Blaine couldn't hold it in; he _needed _someone who he could gush about Kurt to, and since Wes and David were pretty much a package deal, he got two for the price of one. Blaine couldn't help it if he couldn't shut up about the confounding beauty of Kurt's ever-shifting eyes, or waxing poetic about his beautiful laugh. He had just never really thought ahead to Kurt meeting his other friends, especially Wes and David. And now that Kurt was at Dalton, he was certain that Wes and David would take every opportunity to embarrass him with sexual innuendos and awkward comments.

Oh joy.

Pushing passed his nerves, Blaine said in a soft murmur, "You _do _have nice eyes though."

Kurt looked up, slightly startled at Blaine's sudden admission, but his face soon melted into an adorable little smile, as he ducked his head and blushed lightly.

"You're not such a slouch yourself." Kurt returned, looking up through his lashes to the beautiful big hazel eyes in front of him.

Their eyes locked and held. Both became lost in the other. It was almost scary. Neither of them had really fallen for anyone before. Sure, there had been crushes, but those had been shallow and fleeting. This was entirely new, and falling for someone was a remarkably accurate term because it really felt like falling. The loss of space and self-awareness. It was no longer just about themselves anymore. They were concerned for another person and it was incredible and fascinating and completely terrifying because now, not all of their energy could be focused on protecting themselves anymore; it was divided up and spread over two now, leaving them feeling vulnerable as their strength stretched thin, trying to cover them both, and realizing that they really cared more for the other's safety and happiness in the end. It was exposed and vulnerable but it still felt overwhelmingly _right. _So they even though they wanted to let themselves fall, self-preservation was still an instinct they had yet to override. It kept them grasping for foot holes to slow the fall.

Pulling his gaze from Blaine's, Kurt cleared his throat lightly, breaking the moment.

"Anyways, they seem nice." Kurt started up again. "At least they don't want to beat me up. I can't remember the last time strangers were so nice to me." Kurt smiled, showing his pleasant surprise.

"Well get used to it," Blaine said, bumping his shoulder into Kurt's gently, "Acceptance is like a freaking epidemic here. Sometimes I think it's a little _too_ perfect."

Too bad perfect can't last forever.

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun! And yes, that **_**was**_** foreshadowing :P! So I wanted to know what you guys think of including the New Directions into the story. Love it? Hate it? Let me know! As always, please review or send me a PM! I would love to hear your thoughts! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'd like to start off by thanking all of you who left me lovely reviews. I love hearing from you guys, whether it's reviews or PMs, so keep them coming! I'm actually really happy with this chapter. I think it has some humor and some heartfelt moments. I also feel like we're actually getting into the story now, instead of just setting everything up. Okay I'll keep it short and let you read now. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, and believe me, I've tried everything…**

**Chapter 5**

Kurt's alarm sounded at 6:00 A.M. Monday morning, causing him to leap from bed. He hadn't slept very well due to nerves, but he also knew that Blaine would be at his door by 8:00 to take him to breakfast, so he needed to stay focused.

With frantic energy, Kurt made his bed, neat and precise, and laid out a crisp uniform for the day, on top. He then made his way to the shower where he would need at least 20 minutes, if not 30. One of the advantages to being a mid-semester transfer? Kurt didn't have a roommate, which meant that his bathroom was all his. Kurt thanked the God he didn't believe in for small miracles.

After ironing his white button down, making sure his tie hung perfectly from his slender neck, and his lapels laid down flat on his chest, Kurt smiled at himself in the mirror. He looked like any other Dalton student. He would fit right in. Kurt couldn't help his smile from deflating slightly into a look of uncertainty and mild distaste.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked through the door way that Kurt had flung open a few minutes prior in anticipation of Blaine's arrival.

"Nothing," he shrugged, hoping it looked indifferent.

"I know you're not crazy about the uniform, but your expression of dismay seemed to say more than just 'man I wish I could burn this blazer'." Blaine stood behind Kurt, looking into his eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

"First off, I _do_ wish I could burn this blazer," Kurt said as he pulled at it like it was a disgusting slime, "and the longer it's on my body, the more tempted I am to still be _in_ the blazer when I burn it."

Blaine chuckled at Kurt's honest to God horror at the fashion monstrosity.

"You think this is funny, Blaine?" Kurt said wide eyed. He had a small glint of playfulness in his eyes, like he knew people found his serious concern for fashion silly and amusing, but he was overwhelmingly serious. To Kurt, fashion was no laughing matter. "I mean, I'll admit, a navy blazer with red piping, is pretty laughable, especially when paired with charcoal gray slacks. I mean what's next, _brown shoes? _ And the tie looks like a demented candy cane! I mean really! Who designed this uniform? Prison convicts? I mean, this is like Martha Stewart post-prison! It's so depressing and bland and, and…ordinary."

Kurt's voice lost all its fire on the last word, and just ended up sounding bewildered and scared. Blaine, who had been laughing throughout Kurt's tangent, sobered up and looked at the boy in front of him. Groomed to perfection, gorgeous as always, with a hint of fear in his eyes, Blaine finally placed what was bothering Kurt.

"Ordinary, huh?" Blaine questioned quietly.

Kurt kept his head down, refusing to meet Blaine's gaze in the mirror. He shrugged instead.

"Kurt? Are you worried about losing your individuality?" Kurt felt Blaine's hands come to rest on his shoulders. He ached to move back and melt into Blaine's chest, but didn't want to make things awkward. He settled for meeting Blaine's gaze in the mirror, instead. "Do you really think that a silly uniform could take all that away?"

"It's just, well, I've never been ordinary." Kurt replied. "I used to try when I was little, so I could fit in, but I was just never very good at it. If being ordinary meant not wearing pink hats and fabulous printed scarves, then I didn't want anything to do with it."

Blaine smirked a little at Kurt's obvious flare for fierce, even at a young age, but remained serious.

"I put this uniform on, fighting my gag reflex the whole way, and thought, 'wow, I look like everyone else!' and then I realized that I've _never, _in my entire life looked like everyone else. Not only do I have to have the fashion sucked out of my day to day life-losing an important self-expression for me- but I don't even know if I know _how _to be like everyone else." Kurt took a deep breath, trying to make sense of his swirling thoughts. "I'm being forced into something I don't know how to do and it's terrifying." He finished in a near whisper.

Looking at the porcelain skinned boy in front of him, Blaine had no trouble believing that Kurt meant it when he said he had never looked like everyone else. _If everyone looked this good, I'd have died of cardiac arrest a long time ago _Blaine thought.

"Kurt, no one's asking you to assimilate. No one is asking you to blend into the crowd. The purpose of the uniform is to help enforce that we're all equal here at Dalton. Equality, Kurt, not loss of individuality." He carefully started moving his hands in slow circles on Kurt's shoulders and adding a little pressure, hoping to massage the nerves away. Kurt didn't pull away, so he took that as a sign to continue. "So it doesn't matter whether you're good at being like everyone else or not, because you don't have to be if you don't want to."

Kurt sighed and leaned his head to the side in relaxation; Blaine sure gave a great shoulder massage.

"How did you get so smart?" Kurt mused teasingly, yet with a hint of adoration that warmed Blaine's heart.

"Dr. Phil marathons." He said utterly serious.

Kurt laughed but otherwise kept quiet; allowing Blaine to continue his massage.

With the tension of the previous conversation already dissipated and the feel of Kurt's shoulders under his hands, Blaine thought he'd try his luck by adding, in a nonchalant tone, "and anyways, I think you're pulling the uniform off pretty well."

Kurt felt a familiar heat spread over his cheeks. "Well of course _I _am." Kurt teased in a snooty voice, "I just wish that they could have paired this bleeding smurf blazer with some different pants. I mean, there are so many options for pants out there, but they chose slacks."

"Well not everyone can pull of bondage style pants Kurt."

"This is true. It is a rare and useless talent."

"Well I don't know about useless…" Blaine said quietly, feeling a fierce blush wash over his face. He could think of plenty of uses for Kurt's bondage pants. The main use being to drive him completely insane.

Kurt tried his best to stop the dopey grin from taking over his face, but wasn't doing so hot. So he slapped on his signature 'bitch please' look, complete with quirked eyebrow and said, "Oh yeah, cause pulling off bondage style pants is definitely something I'd put on my resume."

Blaine chuckled and slid his hands from Kurt's shoulders. "We should probably get headed to breakfast."

Kurt nodded and walked across the room to sling his messenger bag over his shoulder, before following Blaine out the door.

Kurt and Blaine had World history and Chemistry together, but not until after lunch, at the end of the day. Blaine had tried to convince Kurt to let him walk him to his first class of the day, AP French, but Blaine's first class, Calculus, was at the other end of the campus, and Kurt urged him to go to class. With a promise to find him for lunch, Blaine had reluctantly taken off in the direction of the math wing.

Now, schedule clutched in one hand, strap of his bag grasped firmly in the other, Kurt was sort of wishing he had taken Blaine up on his offer. The bell rang, loud and proud, for all to hear, signaling the beginning of first period.

_Fantastic _Kurt thought, _late to my first class on my first day. Way to make a good impression._

As Kurt rounded a corner, he slammed straight into wall of lockers. _Odd _Kurt thought as he fell to the ground _why would they have lockers in the middle of a hallway? _It was even stranger when the wall of lockers started apologizing.

That was because the wall of lockers was actually another student. He was on all fours picking up the contents of his spilt bag, still mumbling apologies.

"It's fine," Kurt reassured. It was hard to keep the wonder out of his voice. After all, it was the first time someone had knocked him down in school and apologized. "Here, let me help you." He knelt down to help the boy scoop up the remainder of his papers. He noticed that they were all pieces of various sheet music.

"Do you play something?" Kurt said conversationally.

"Sing mostly," he replied in a voice smooth as silk, "but I play the piano and recently picked up the drums in my spare time."

The boys finished clearing the floor of music and stood. When pulled to his full height, the mystery boy was actually quite tall; at least 3 or 4 inches taller than Kurt. He had broad shoulders and was built like he played sports, possibly soccer, or swimming and diving. He wasn't bulky but lean and solid, with muscles in all the right places. He had icy blue eyes and jet black hair that was styled in an attractive bedhead look. He was the kind of guy that was attractive as a fact, not opinion. He was the textbook example of handsome.

"Are you in the Warblers?" Kurt asked, suddenly shy, "I just ask because I'm getting ready to audition in a week or two. I'm new," Kurt blurted out. He stuck his hand out and offered, "I'm Kurt."

Smiling with his perfect white teeth, mystery boy shook Kurt's hand firmly, "Jude, and yes, I am in the Warblers." He shoved his hands in his pockets, still smiling at Kurt. "You're cute when you blush." He added, seemingly unfazed by admitting something like that out loud. Kurt, in turn, just blushed more and ducked his head. He heard a gentle laugh and looked up to meet Jude's eyes again.

"So where are you headed?" Jude asked

"Oh yeah, class, forgot about that!" Kurt laughed incredulously.

"Yeah, I'm finding it hard to focus too." Jude said, staring openly at Kurt.

_Is he flirting? _Kurt mused _Is this attractive boy actually hitting on _me? _There must be some mistake. He's probably not even gay _Kurt decided. For now at least, pretending that he was oblivious to the possible flirtation made it easier to converse with Jude while looking him in the eye.

Clearing his throat, Kurt answered Jude's earlier question with, "AP French with Madame Poole."

"This way," Jude said instantly, turning to the left and briskly walking towards a new hallway where they took another left. "I have AP French too, but I'm next door with Madame Scott."

"Anything I should know about Madame Poole?" Kurt asked, trying to keep conversation flowing.

Jude pursed his lips, seemingly thinking hard about Kurt's question before answering. "Yeah," he finally concluded, "if she has a cup of coffee on her desk, it will be a normal day. If it's a cup of tea though, watch out. I don't know if she drinks tea when she's stressed or what, but on tea days, I highly recommend walking on egg shells around her."

Pursing his own lips, Kurt seemed to turn the information over in his head and then accepted it as useful. "Noted." He stated simply.

They finally stopped in front of one door that read 'Madame Poole' on the plaque to the side of the doorway.

"Thank you so much," Kurt said, voice filled with relief, "I knock you and all your things onto the floor and this is what I get? I wonder what would happen if I greeted you with a 'hello' next time." Kurt laughed while inside he was panicking a little bit. _Did that sound flirty? Was that flirting? Am I flirting with Jude? But I like Blaine… _

He pushed those thoughts aside as he realized Jude was starting to say something to him.

Looking up through his eyelashes, Jude shot Kurt a small smile. "Next time?" he asked in his smooth, deep voice. "I'd like that. But how about instead of just a 'hello', how about meeting me in the cafeteria for coffee tomorrow morning?"

Kurt froze. _This isn't a date, right? Is it?_

"I mean, you did knock all of my stuff onto the floor…" he chided, pouting slightly.

"Sure." Kurt blurted out. It probably was just a friendly invitation and it was Kurt's official first day; who was he to be turning down possible friends.

"Great," Jude said with his blue eyes still locked on Kurt's. Kurt stood unmoving, not sure what to do next.

"Well, I think I've taken enough of your time Kurt," Jude said as he reached for the door to Madame Poole's class, "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Nodding, Kurt ducked under Jude's arm that was holding the door open for him, trying to ignore the heat radiating off of his muscular frame. "Tomorrow." He whispered back before plunging head first, seven minutes late, into his first official day at Dalton.

**A/N: Sooooo, any thoughts on Jude? Any thoughts on how Blaine really got so smart? Thoughts on Kurt's bondage style pants? Any thoughts at all? Review or PM me! No, really, in all seriousness, I think I'm becoming a review whore, so please help me get my fix!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: As always, the reviews, favorites, and followers are appreciated like you couldn't even imagine. I know I say that every chapter, but it's true every time, so I'll keep saying it until it's not (don't hold your breath). I started this chapter out with absolutely NO idea what I was going to do with it, but I ended up liking it enough. It's more of a filler chapter I guess, but the end has some pretty relevant stuff that sheds a little light on Jude's character. Anyways, I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 6**

The day flew past in a blur of classes and confusion. By dinner time, Kurt found himself in his room glaring at an intimidating mound of work.

With a loud sigh, Kurt resigned himself to skipping dinner in favor of finishing his make-up work before he turned 30.

That didn't stop Blaine from stopping by, precisely at 6, to collect him for dinner. With a, "Hey Kurt ready for d-Sweet Jesus…" he trailed off; eyes wide when he realized the frenzied panic in Kurt's eyes and the mountain of papers and books. "I'll be right back, hold on." Blaine stated calmly and walked away, down the hall.

Kurt's brow crumpled in confusion for a second, but he pushed it away in order to focus on derivatives.

Kurt had always been a good student. The kind of good student that doesn't really have to study, but more just shows up and aces every test and assignment. Whether that was a product of McKinley's standards or Kurt's natural drive and ambition was up for debate, but as Kurt got to work on all his projects, it dawned on him what a massive undertaking this really was. New school, new peers, new teachers, new curriculum; it was enough to give a kid a panic attack.

As if sensing his strife, the door flung open to reveal a smiling Blaine, followed closely by Wes and David who were each carrying a pizza box each, cradling it like a newborn child, and nearly salivating at the smells.

Shuffling his books to the side in confusion, Kurt sat up on his bed and quirked an eyebrow at his new company.

"Not that I don't appreciate the sight of smiling faces and pore clogging yet admittedly delicious smelling pizza," Kurt began, "but I really don't have the time right now." He gestured broadly to the chaos around him with a face that added _obviously._

"And that's why we're here!" Wes said, beaming as he settled on the floor; back against the side of the bed.

Kurt looked at Blaine with question marks in his eyes, clearly still not understanding.

"I know it sounds crazy but Wes and David are really smart, and if anyone can help you make a dent in that, that…._thing, _then it's them." Blaine explained, settling in the desk chair across the room.

Nodding his head in understanding, Kurt smiled shyly. "You guys really didn't have to drag your dinner up here and help me do my homework." He smiled a little bashfully. Kurt wasn't used to virtual strangers caring about him with no incentive.

"Kurt, if we hadn't come to help you, you would have been here studying away until January. If you were here until January, then you would have starved to death. If you had starved to death then Blaine wouldn't stop crying. If Blaine didn't stop crying he wouldn't be able to sing lead anymore. If Blaine couldn't sing lead anymore, Wes would have to step in. If Wes stepped in-"

David was interrupted by Wes who finished with, "We would win nationals. If we won nationals-"

"Okay!" Blaine finally cut in, "I just assured Kurt that you're smart, and you're making me look like a liar."

"Actually, _Blaine," _Wes said, faking irritation, "I thought that David's scenario displayed an excellent use of cause and effect while illustrating an extremely logical thought process and fair judgment in intuitive leaps. Furthermore, he showed a distinct possibility in our near future; bringing it to Kurt's attention _before _he looks up one day and realizes he's been studying for 3 weeks straight." Wes turned up his nose at the end in feigned superiority and then smiled a big _'told you I was smart' _grin.

Kurt stared in amazement at all the life and personality surrounding him. Here were two boys that were some of the biggest clowns he had ever had the pleasure of meeting, making logical sense and evidently possessing an intellect beyond expectation. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly at his new friends.

"Kurt, come on," Blaine urged, now sitting at the foot of the bed with a plate of pizza in his lap, "you have to eat something." Plucking an olive off of his pizza, he dangled it in front of Kurt's face.

Swatting lightly at Blaine's hand, Kurt tried to remain focused on reading about the Russian revolution, as David was quizzing him with old homework questions.

"I'm really not that hungry Blaine." Kurt lied. He was starving, but he didn't need to know that. Right now, Kurt needed to finish this make-up work more than he needed food.

"Please?" Blaine pouted, busting out his puppy dog eyes.

_No, must resist, _Kurt thought. _Resist, resist, resist_ he fought to keep his resolve, _Too…adorable…_

"Fine!" Kurt said with a huff and snatched the olive from Blaine's fingertips, "happy now?"

Smiling a large grin, Blaine simply nodded and continued pulling olives off of his pizza and feeding them to Kurt.

"Can you smell that?" David asked Wes loudly.

"Yes, I believe I do dearest David" Wes replied, equally over exaggerated, "but whatever could it be?"

"Ah, young Wesley," David responded, giving Wes a fond pat on the shoulder, "that would be love." Looking directly at Kurt and Blaine he raised his eyebrow suggestively, "Love is in the air."

Blaine lunged over Kurt to the head of the bed, and quickly grabbed a pillow to launch at David.

David just laughed and ducked out of the way. "Are you really trying to deny that as you're practically lying on top of Kurt, in his bed?"

Blaine looked down, and noticed that he was draped over Kurt's back, as he had been sprawled out on his stomach to study. Kurt lay, staring over his shoulder at Blaine, with a slightly disbelieving look on his face. He hastily relocated to the foot of the bed once more and fought the blush that was growing across his cheeks.

"My brain officially hates me." Kurt said, dragging a hand down his weary features.

"Too much information at once?" Wes asked, smiling a knowing smile.

"It's like force feeding my brain." Kurt said, as if that was answer enough.

"Then I guess we've technically made your brain obese in the past…" Wes trailed off, looking at his watch, eyebrows raised when he realized the time, "_six hours!"_

"Uhg! No wonder my mind is starting to shut down? Has it really been six hours?" Kurt flopped down on his bed face first, dropping the book he had been pacing with to the side of the bed with a clatter.

Nodding, Wes glanced over to Blaine and David who had both crashed on the floor. "We should probably wake them up." He suggested as he lightly nudged them with his foot.

"Is it morning yet?" David asked sleepily. "Breakfast time?" he added with something akin to hope in his voice.

At the mention of breakfast, Blaine's ears perked up too, and he looked to Wes for an answer.

_Do they ever stop eating? _Kurt wondered.

Kurt then remembered his plans for breakfast the next morning, and turned to Wes as Blaine and David shuffled around the room, gathering their things.

"Hey Wes, do you know a Jude?"

Wes turned to look at him questioningly, "Jude Aldon?"

Kurt shrugged; he hadn't caught Jude's last name. "Tall, black hair, blue eyes. He said he was a Warbler." Kurt added.

"That's Jude Aldon." Wes said, still looking curious. "Why?"

"Oh, I just met him in the hallway today, and I guess I just…" Kurt trailed off, not sure how he wanted to end his sentence. He wanted to what? Get some inside information on the boy who may or may not have asked him out today? Kurt was suddenly very aware of Blaine's presence still in the room. He was crushing on Blaine-that much was painfully obvious. But Kurt felt almost bad for finding another man attractive. _Not that Blaine would care, _that rude little voice inside his head sneered, _you're just his friend._

"You met him and just what?" David chimed in, more awake now.

Kurt noticed all three pairs of eyes were trained on him, awaiting his answer. A hazel pair seemed to be burning into him with particular interest.

"Well, he sort of asked me to have coffee with him tomorrow morning and I said yes." He looked up from the floor and noticed the myriad of expression on the three faces surrounding him; Wes still looked a little confused, David looked a little concerned and kept flicking his gaze between Kurt and Blaine, while Blaine's eyes looked broken; like the words had gotten stuck behind his eyes and couldn't be processed.

Kurt forged ahead. "So, I guess I just realized that I don't really know anything about him…" he stopped, hoping that the guys would say something…anything. _Seriously, if one of these guys just yelled 'Waffle' randomly, I would be forever grateful; just as long as this silence ends._

"Should I have said no?" Kurt wondered, starting to get more and more nervous the longer the silence rang out.

"Well, no, not really," David finally spoke up, eyes still flittering over to look at Blaine every few seconds. Blaine stood, shoulder's hunched, hands fisted in his pockets, scrutinizing the floor with an intense gaze.

"It's just that Jude can be a little intense, Kurt." Wes finished for David.

"Intense how?"

"I don't know." Wes sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking exasperated, like he had been trying to define Jude's intensity without success for a long time.

"He's just very determined shall we say." David offered. "If he wants something, he will do anything to get it." He leveled Kurt a very serious look, trying to convey the gravity of his words to Kurt.

"He's not a bad guy," Wes jumped back in, backpedaling a little, "he's pleasant, smart, a great singer, and a good team player, but he's very driven. To the point of obsession maybe."

Nodding in agreement, David finished for Wes. "Just be careful, Kurt."

Kurt stood, a little concerned after what he had heard. _I'm in way over my head, aren't I? _he thought in silent anxiety. _I can't go one day without attracting some kind of drama, can I? _On the outside, Kurt just nodded solemnly and offered a small smile.

"Thanks guys. For the advice and the homework help."

Shaking off the serious atmosphere that had settled in the air, Wes and David eagerly smiled and insisted it was no problem at all. Blaine remained quiet, by the door.

As Wes and David bid goodnight to Kurt they filed out of the door one and then the other. Blaine slipped into line right behind them but stopped when Kurt called out.

Turning around, Blaine was surprised to see Kurt much closer than he had expected, only maybe 6 inches away. His heart hammered in his chest, partly because of Kurt's proximity, partly because of the rage still coursing through him at the knowledge of Jude and Kurt's coffee date.

Blaine had never had anything against the handsome Warbler. They didn't talk a whole lot, but Jude kept to himself most of the time. _Great, _Blaine thought scathingly, _that will make him seem all mysterious and sexy._ The thought of delicate, fragile, Kurt in Jude's aggressive grasp made Blaine grind his teeth in fear and frustration. He may not know Jude that well, but there was something unsettling in his eyes. His icy blue eyes were cold, like a stone wall. They were a frozen lake in the dead of winter, nowhere near thawing. Then there were Kurt's eyes; they were a frozen lake in March, the rapids breaking free of its wintery captivity, full of new life and energy. He didn't want the coldness of Jude's soul anywhere near Kurt's warm compassion. On top of all his fear, he was jealous. Plain and simple. He didn't want Kurt going out with anyone but him. He didn't want someone to be holding Kurt's hand, or holding him tight or kissing him…unless it was him. And now he may have missed his chance.

Snapping out of his reverie, Blaine realized that Kurt was trying to talk to him.

"Huh, sorry, what?" Blaine asked.

"Are you okay?" Kurt repeated; he looked worried.

"I'm fine." Blaine said automatically.

"No you're not." Kurt said right back, not missing a beat, still staring straight back into Blaine's hazel gaze.

Blaine stayed silent, but let his eyes slip from Kurt's scrutiny.

Kurt wasn't having this as he gently cupped Blaine's face and tilted it up to meet his own eyes once more.

Fighting to keep his expression fairly neutral, Blaine murmured quietly, "Just be careful please."

"Why is everyone acting like something bad is going to happen? Is he dangerous or something? Should I cancel?" Kurt asked, still confused about everyone's reactions.

_Yes! _Blaine wanted to shout. _Yes, you should cancel and have coffee with _me_ tomorrow morning, like you should every morning for, oh, I don't know, how does forever sound? _But he held it in, and tried to stay objective. If Kurt was going to choose him, he wanted it to be because Kurt truly wanted him.

"No, he's not dangerous, just intense. You heard Wes and David. If he wants something, he gets it." Blaine ground his teeth together, but forced out the next part, "And if he wants you, he could get…overbearing…"

Kurt continued to look Blaine in the eye and searched his eyes for sincerity; he seemed to be telling the truth, so Kurt just nodded. Part of him had been wishing that Blaine would tell him to cancel. _But that would imply that he has feeling beyond that of a platonic relationship, and he doesn't _Kurt's rude inner voice said.

Sighing, Kurt realized that he still had his hand cradling Blaine's face. Either they had both forgotten, or Blaine just wasn't pulling away.

In a bold move, Kurt pulled Blaine's head forward to lean their foreheads against one another. Gazing up through his lashes, Blaine, with a slightly surprised look on his face, let himself melt into Kurt's smoldering gaze and stared straight back.

They stood, unmoving, not saying a single word. They just marveled in the feel of the other boy's skin; the smells and breaths; their hearts beating strong and vital, only separated by a few inches.

Finally, after several minutes, Kurt sighed again, his breath washing over Blaine's face, causing a brilliant tingle to run up his spine. "Goodnight, Blaine." He whispered.

"Goodnight, Kurt." He whispered back. "Walk you to the cafeteria tomorrow morning?" he offered.

"Please?" Kurt asked, the nerves showing in his eyes as equally in the tremble of his voice.

"Sure." Blaine smiled a very small smile and pulled away finally, crossing the border of the door and walking back to his dorm.

Kurt may be having a possible date with an attractive man tomorrow, but he was a bundle of nerves. Blaine smiled because Kurt was never that way around him. Things were always so easy between them. Natural as breathing.

And that had to mean something; Blaine refused to believe that it didn't.

**A/N: Next chapter is the coffee date! And the possibility of Kurt attracting even more attention, because let's face it, Kurt's pretty irresistible :P As always, I love to hear from you guys so please review or PM me!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews; I love hearing from you guys! Absolutely makes my day! I hope you like this chapter, it took me a little longer than normal to get it right, but I'm pretty happy with it now! And I thought it was time to bring a few more of the Warblers into the story (well me and one of my readers (I think you know who you are : ) ) Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 7**

Kurt awoke the next morning still tired from his late night of studying the night before. After quickly dressing in his hideous uniform, he met Blaine at his door to walk to the cafeteria.

Blaine was uncharacteristically quiet, and seemed tired for the first time since Kurt had known him. Blaine was one of those rare individuals that seemed to have caffeine running through their veins, and only really drank coffee for the novelty of it.

And Blaine _was _tired. He hadn't slept too well after learning of Kurt's 'date' with Jude. He had tried to tell himself that it wasn't really a date, it was just two new friends having coffee together, but that didn't do anything to calm his nerves or his rapidly growing annoyance for Jude.

"Hey there," came a smooth, deep voice as they crossed the threshold into the cafeteria.

Kurt and Blaine whirled around to see Jude's tall frame approaching.

"Hey," Kurt said somewhat awkwardly.

"Jude." Blaine nodded in ways of a greeting, well aware that he was coming off quite terse, but not really finding the urge to care.

"Hello Blaine," Jude offered, smiling lightly at his fellow Warbler. Turning back to Kurt he continued with, "well Kurt, shall we?" He offered his arm to Kurt who stood and stared at it like he had never seen one before.

"O-okay." Kurt managed, slipping his arm a little hesitantly through Jude's and shot Blaine a wide-eyed look of shock and something reminiscent of panic.

Blaine gave Kurt a pained smile that he had hoped looked at least vaguely reassuring and not at all jealous. As soon as Kurt and Jude slipped from view Blaine sighed, dragging a hand down his face and plopped himself down next to Wes and David who sat with some of the other Warblers.

"What's wrong buddy?" Wes asked, shoveling an enormous pile of eggs into his mouth.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Blaine lied.

"Sure, and I understood the ending of Lost." David said sarcastically, "Now really what's wrong? Does this have to do with Kurt and Jude?"

Blaine's cringe at hearing their names placed together coupled with his silence and refusal to meet anyone's eyes told them that they had hit the nail on the head.

"Oh that coffee date is today?" Nick said from the end of the table.

"How did you forget?" Jeff said as he slung an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders, "It's all he could talk about last night!"

"What do mean?" Blaine asked; curiosity piqued.

Noticing that their conversation was no longer private, Nick and Jeff looked out at the table and explained. "Well, Jude came over to Jeff's dorm last night so we could all study for our test coming up in AP Spanish," Nick began, "but we didn't really get a lot of studying done because every other line out of his mouth was something about Kurt."

"Which, by the way," Jeff interjected, "when do we get to meet him?"

At that, the whole table came alive with the other Warbler's wondering aloud about the mysterious Kurt Hummel.

"_Anyway," _Nick said loudly, trying to reign in the cacophony of voices, "Jude seemed really excited about getting coffee with Kurt. He even went as far to refer to it as a 'date'." Nick finished quietly, looking warily at Blaine.

"Well," Blaine asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer "is it?"

All eyes were on Nick and Jeff as they silently consulted one another. After a series of looks and small hand gestures they seemed to reach an agreement and turned towards the rest of the Warblers, eyes fixed on Blaine. "I think Jude thinks it is." Jeff said, eyes filled with worry.

It was a well-known fact amongst the Warblers that Blaine had a crush on Kurt, even if he would deny it whenever asked. Now that Wes and David had witnessed firsthand the interactions between Kurt and Blaine, word had quickly spread through the Warblers that the feelings were reciprocated. If all the Warbler's knew about the little love fest, then it stood to reason that Jude knew too, and gay or not, asking your friends crush out was breaking the bro-code. Sure, Blaine and Jude had never been close, but the Warblers were family, they were an indivisible unit, and no one was very happy about Jude's sudden interest in Kurt.

"Do you know what Kurt thinks this is?" Jeff asked cautiously.

But Blaine was already standing up and making his way to first period, willing his minimal breakfast to stay in his stomach.

"Every day?" Jude teased, "You get the same coffee every day?"

"I'm not boring," Kurt insisted, "I'm consistent." He smiled up at Jude's slight smirk, still feeling a little uneasy.

"Oh I never called you boring." Jude said in his silky smooth voice. He reached out a hand to rest on Kurt's knee, but Kurt shifted away uncomfortably.

"So," Kurt said, trying to keep the silence at bay, "How long have you been a Warbler?"

"Since day one, I guess." Jude shrugged, "I started as a freshman, and now, here I am, senior year and still humming in the background and sidestepping like a pro." He said it lightly, letting Kurt know that he wasn't bitter about being in a perpetual chorus role.

"Wow, that sounds thrilling," Kurt deadpanned, "can't wait to join."

Chuckling, Jude leaned forward a little, making Kurt feel a little uncomfortable. "Have you decided on an audition song?" He slowly slid even closer to Kurt, until his leg was flush against Kurt's on the bench they were sitting side by side on out in the courtyard.

Sliding just a smidge away, just enough to reduce the contact, Kurt answered, "Not really. I mean, I have some ideas but-"

A loud crash stopped Kurt mid-sentence. His eyes flew up to see a younger boy staring straight at him, his books lying scattered all around the floor.

Eager to put more space between him and Jude, Kurt rose and walked over to the boy.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked as he kneeled down and started picking up books.

The boy kneeled down to collect his books as well, yet his eyes were still glued to Kurt. He blinked a few times when he realized that Kurt was waiting for a response.

"Um, yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He rushed out in a hurried whisper.

Once all the books were piled up and hoisted into the boys arms once more, they stood, standing awkwardly, not sure what to do now.

"I'm Kurt." He offered his hand to the shocked looking boy.

"Kevin, er, Calvin," the boy spluttered out, "m-my name is Calvin." He gingerly returned Kurt's handshake.

"Thank you for your help." Calvin said in a breathy whisper, eyes still wide and staring at Kurt in wonder.

"Anytime." Kurt offered with a smile and watched as Calvin blushed and hurried away, head down.

"Looks like someone has a crush," Jude laughed lightly, suddenly right behind Kurt's shoulder.

"Excuse me?" Kurt said, throwing in a 'Bitch, please' glare for good measure.

"Not you," Jude chuckled, "him."

Kurt scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure," he said sarcastically, turning to walk in the general direction of his first class.

"No, really," Jude persisted, falling into step with Kurt. "his eyes were all love-struck, and he had this dopey look of amazement on his face," moving closer yet again, Jude brushed the back of his hand across Kurt's cheek softly, "not that I can blame him."

"Okay," Kurt said firmly, taking about the hundredth step back this morning, "enough with the touching."

Jude stopped walking and looked at Kurt with a bewildered expression. "What do you mean?" he asked, "This is how you act on a date. This is what you do."

Now it was Kurt's turn to stop walking and stare at Jude bewilderedly. Hearing Jude confirm this get together as a date, of romantic intention, made his stomach churn a little. The concept had been intriguing and a little exciting, but actually hearing Jude say it, made him sure that it wasn't what he wanted. He felt uncomfortable and uneasy, and he suddenly wished that Blaine was there, because Blaine always made him feel calm and peaceful. In fact, Kurt wished that Blaine was standing where Jude was. He wished that it was Blaine he was on a date with. The idea of dating didn't appeal to him nearly as much if Blaine wasn't in the picture, he realized.

"Date?" he squeaked out, "I wasn't aware that we were on a date."

Jude smiled like Kurt finally understood and stepped closer, cupping Kurt's cheek in his large hand. "You're silly," he smiled down at Kurt, "of course this is a date."

Backing up, _again_, Kurt looked Jude in the eyes, trying to keep his voice level. "I think I need to clarify that I don't want to date you." He kept his eyes on Jude and, to his surprise, his voice came out firm yet gentle.

Jude stared back blankly, the smile slowly slipping from his face into a look of complete and under dumbfounded confusion.

"What do you mean you don't want to date me?" His voice took on a hint of anger and disbelief, "You flirted with me in the hallway the other day!"

_Damn, it did sound flirty, didn't it? _Kurt inwardly cringed. "Listen, I'm really sorry if it sounded that way, but it was never my intent-"

A strong hand wrapped around Kurt's wrist and yanked him forwards, nearly causing him to crash into Jude's chest. "You led me on!" Jude cried incredulously, like he was shocked that anyone would dare treat him that way.

Kurt's eyes quickly scanned the courtyard until they found the large clock on the admissions building. It was about 3 minutes until the start of first period and the good students of Dalton were already in class, preparing for the day, leaving the courtyard empty.

Kurt tried to pull his arm from Jude's grasp, but it only tightened from firm to bone-crushing. "Jude, I didn't! And if I did, then I didn't mean to!" Kurt tried to reason with him, but just saw fire in his eyes.

"Shut up." Jude said menacingly; in a calm, smooth voice "Just…why?" he asked, sounding suddenly weary, "why not me?"

Kurt wasn't sure how to answer that. He couldn't say that Jude wasn't his type because Jude was everyone's type: Attractive. And he doubted that saying he liked someone else would help very much right now.

Turns out that he didn't have to say anything. Realization dawned on Jude's face as his vice-like grip loosened its hold on Kurt's arm. "Oh," he said, voice blunt and harsh, his eyes searching for something in the distance and then zeroing in on Kurt, "It's because of Blaine isn't it?"

Kurt didn't know what to say or do, so he just stayed perfectly still, staring at Jude.

Undeterred, Jude's small smirk reappeared on his face as he backed away from Kurt. "I get it." He stated simply. And for a moment, Kurt thought that maybe all would be fine. Until Jude continued with, "Don't worry Kurt. I'll let you get it out of your system. But you'll come back" And with that he pivoted around and walked away.

Kurt stood, frozen in shock, unsure of how one even began to process something like that. He pulled up the sleeve of his blazer a little to reveal an already darkening bruise from Jude's hand. Sighing, he suddenly snapped back to reality when the one minute warning bell rang through-out the campus. He really didn't need be late to class, _again._

Kurt was glad when lunch finally rolled around. Not only was he starving, since he skipped breakfast this morning, but he wanted to see Blaine. After the happenings of that morning, he wanted nothing more than to see his big hazel eyes and gel imprisoned hair.

"So how was the date this morning?" Jeff and Nick asked simultaneously, happy to have finally been introduced to the object of so many Warblers' affections.

Kurt stiffened a little, causing Blaine to turn towards him from his seat directly beside.

"Well, I didn't really know that it was a date…" Kurt said slightly embarrassed.

The whole table remained quiet, waiting to hear what Kurt would say.

Mustering up his courage, Kurt continued, "So I told him that I was sorry if I misled him, but I wasn't interested." He really hoped that they wouldn't hate him for rejecting one of their own.

To his surprise the table broke out with laughter and smiles. No one seemed to care. They even seemed a little relieved. _That's absurd, _Kurt thought, and pushed the thought from his mind.

"That must have been awkward!" David joked.

"It was pretty uncomfortable." Kurt confirmed with a smile that slowly melted into one of contemplation when he thought about the uncomfortable bruise blossoming on his arm.

"You okay?" Blaine spoke up for the first time that day, leaning in to Kurt's side a little so that he would be heard. With the commotion at the table, no one had noticed Kurt's change in demeanor; except Blaine who seemed to be hyperaware of Kurt's mood changes.

Kurt smiled when he realized that Blaine's close proximity didn't make him feel uneasy; it made him feel safe. He flicked his eyes up to meet Blaine's and answered with a very quiet, "I am now." Very, very tentatively, he edged his hand over to rest on top of Blaine's hand that sat on top of the table. His hand had barely descended, and their skin had barely brush with the slightest of pressure when a loud crash sounded behind them.

Ripping his hand off of Blaine's and unlocking their gaze, Kurt whirled around to find Calvin's huge brown eyes boring into his for the second time that day. He stood a couple feet away, like he had been approaching Kurt before his entire lunch, tray and all, went crashing to the ground.

"I-uh…" Calvin attempted.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked voice full of confusion.

"Um…yeah, sure, absolutely, I just um, I just , you're so…_there_ and I just thought _wow _and."Calvin cut off abruptly when he realized what he said. His fair skin flushed a deep red, from his chin to the edge of his ginger hairline. Turning around, Calvin rushed for the exit.

"Awww!" Wes piped up, speaking around a mouth full of corn-dog, "someone's got a crush on our little old Kurt! Well, someone _else-_OW!"

Blaine smiled at Wes who shot him a glare and rubbed his shin where Blaine had kicked him.

"It reminds me of how Nick acted when we first met." Jeff said teasingly and received a jab in the ribs from his boyfriend.

"I did not! I was suave and sophisticated and swept you off your feet, and don't you forget it!" Nick insisted just as teasingly.

Kurt smiled at how easily their relationship fit into everyone's day to day routine. He turned his attention back to Blaine, wondering if they would ever get a chance to test the waters of a relationship. He found his favorite hazel eyes already trained on him, crinkling slightly in the corners from the grin spreading across his face.

"You've just made tons of friends, haven't you?" Blaine teased, still riding a high from Kurt's story of how he rejected Jude.

"That's actually the second time that Calvin has done that today." Kurt giggled.

"Ooo, Calvin. So we're on a first name basis? Must be pretty serious."

"Totes." Kurt said simply, loving how Blaine's face twisted with disgust for the abbreviation for totally. "No, I just find it hard to believe that two different boys could have crushes on me." Kurt elaborated, although 'crush' only seemed to apply to Calvin. 'Obsession' and 'intense' seemed to be more adequate in describing Jude's attraction. The only way to truthfully apply the word 'crush' to Jude would be in reference to his physical nature.

Interrupting his inner worry, Blaine said quietly, "You should probably get used to it."

Kurt could have pushed further and asked what he meant, but right now Kurt was just content to sit next to Blaine, at a table of great new friends, far away from Calvin's fumbling speech and Jude's possessive atmosphere, and just enjoy what he had.

**A/N: So now we see some of Jude's true colors, and I can assure you that we haven't seen the last of him. Dun, dun, dun! Also let me know if you have any ideas for Kurt's audition song. Broadway or something more contemporary or top 40? Review or PM me!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I just want to let you guys know that every time I check my phone and see I have new e-mails notifying me of new followers or favorites or reviews, I get this idiotic grin on my face that probably looks rather creepy to passersby. It really means a lot to me so thank you! On a completely different note, writing during the day is weird! I always write at night, which is why whenever I post new chapters it's always been about 3 or 4 in the morning, at least in my time zone. I just didn't want to wait to get you guys a new chapter! So this is the audition, and I hope you like the song I chose! It may be a tad over ambitious for any guy to sing, even the magnificent Kurt, but I don't know, maybe he could pull it off. Just to be safe, I had him lower the key just a tad. If you want to listen to the song first, so you have an idea of what it sounds like while you read the chapter, I put the name in the end Authors Note, but I don't want to put it here in case some of you want to be surprised. Anyways, this note is long enough already so I'll let you get to the actual story now. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 8**

A week passed by faster than Kurt had anticipated and before he knew it, it was the night before his Warbler audition and he still had absolutely no idea what he was going to sing.

"Show tunes or contemporary?" Kurt asked, pacing the length of his room quickly with his long legs.

"Either would do." Blaine said from where he was lying on his stomach across Kurt's bed. He was surrounded by sheet music that Kurt had been throwing around for the last half hour, leafing gently through it.

"Well of course they would _do, _Blaine, but it has to be perfect!" Kurt said, exasperated at Blaine's lack of understanding.

"Kurt, you're pretty much in anyways. The audition is more of a formality than anything."

"How could I be _in? _You're only saying that because you're my friend and you've heard me sing, but besides you, the other Warblers are clueless. They could think I'm just some kid whose parents told them they were talented because they didn't want to hurt their feelings."

Blaine sat up, laughing. "No one thinks that, Kurt."

"Well then they have high expectations of me and I must rise to the occasion. I can _not _disappoint." Kurt shot back.

"Bit of a perfectionist?" Blaine asked through a chuckle. _Even stressed out, he's absolutely adorable. _

"I once redid an entire batch of cookies because I accidently put one teaspoon too much vanilla in it." Kurt raised one eyebrow and left it at that.

Nodding his head and biting his bottom lip to keep his smile a little flattened out, Blaine looked back down at the sheet music around him.

"Wait a minute…" Kurt suddenly stopped in the middle of the room, eyes looking off in the distance.

Kurt started shuffling through all of the papers on his bed, looking for one song in particular. "Of course, it's perfect!" Kurt exclaimed, still searching for the sheet music.

Blaine just looked at him with a confused expression, hoping that his curiosity would catch Kurt's eye.

"Ah-ha!" Kurt exclaimed and launched himself across the bed, and across Blaine's lap.

As his hand's closed around his prize, he rolled off of Blaine's lap and landed with a thump on the floor.

"I got it!" Kurt exclaimed, still lying on the floor, out of Blaine's line of sight. All he saw was a hand thrust a sheet of slightly crumpled paper into the air and wave it around victoriously.

"What is it?" Blaine asked leaning forward. He desperately wanted to know what song had made Kurt act so uncharacteristically ungraceful.

"No!" Kurt said, suddenly hopping up and pulling the music tightly to his chest. "No way! It's a surprise!"

"But Kuuuurt!" Blaine whined. He actually whined.

"Nu-uh." He replied resolutely, shaking his head like a stubborn child. "Now, I need you to go. I have practicing to do."

Blaine tried to stare Kurt down, but quickly realized that there was no way one could change Kurt's mind once it was made up. "Fine." He huffed and heaved himself off of the bed. He turned around as he reached the door and tried to sound stern, but couldn't quiet keep the adoration for the stubborn man out of his voice, "But you better knock my socks off with this then."

"Do I ever not?" Kurt asked, chuckling lightly and throwing in a wink for good measure.

Blaine just smiled and walked out the door. _No, _he thought, _you always do; you don't even have to try._

"First order of business: we have an audition today." Wes addressed the Warblers in a cheerful voice.

The Warblers all perked up; they had heard a great deal about their possible future teammate and were eager to see him in action.

"Kurt," Wes said, turning towards the boy who stood only slightly awkwardly by the doors, "have you prepared a song?"

"Yes." Kurt said softly.

"Then, by all means, show us what you've got." Wes stepped aside with a friendly smile and gestured for Kurt to move to the front of the group.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt caught a glimpse of Jude in the corner. He was staring at Kurt with a strange glint in his eyes that Kurt couldn't quite place, yet his face betrayed no emotion. Kurt's eyes leapt around the room to finally rest on Blaine and soak in the silent encouragement exuding from his presence.

Clearing his throat, Kurt spoke to the Warblers. "I will be auditioning with the song 'The Girl in 14G'. It's traditionally sung by a girl, and it's a very high song so I lowered it just a little to better suit my voice, but not very much. It's a little silly, but I hope you like it all the same." He stopped himself there and motioned for David to pop in his CD.

The light piano intro began and Kurt's thoughts melted away.

_Just moved in, to fourteen G_

_So cozy, calm, and peaceful_

_Heaven for a mouse like me,_

_With quiet by the leaseful._

Kurt began to slowly saunter around the room with a perfectly innocent expression on his features. Theatrics was his thing, and he was going to showcase that.

_Pets are banned,_

_Parties too,_

_And no solicitations,_

_Window seat with garden view,_

_A perfect nook_

_To read a book_

_I'm lost in my Jane Austen when I hear…_

Kurt wasn't an opera singer but he dug down deep to provide the power needed to satisfy the operatic tone. Then, fast as lightning, Kurt switched back to his innocent persona.

_Say it isn't so,_

_Not the flat below,_

_From an opera wanna-be,_

_In thirteen G,_

_A matinee of some cantata,_

_Wagner's Ring and Traviata…_

Kurt was glad he had lowered the key slightly as he sang the "Magic Flute"; it pushed him to his limits in the best way. He saw the eyes of the other Warblers widen and a few of their jaws even went slack with surprise. It was like they had never heard a boy sing that high. _In fact, _Kurt thought _they probably haven't. _Flipping the switch yet again, Kurt once again became a sweet innocent boy, swaying around the room to the music.

_My first night, in fourteen G,_

_I'll put up with Puccini._

_Brew myself, a cup of tea,_

_Crochet until she's fini._

_Half past eight, not a peep,_

_Except the clock tick tockin'_

_Now I lay me down to sleep,_

Kurt stretched and faked a yawn as the music slowed down,

_A comfy bed, to rest my head,_

_A stretch, a yawn, I'm almost gone, then…_

Kurt's posture relaxed into a casual pose as he expertly scatted the next few lines. If the boys hadn't been impressed enough by Kurt's range, they certainly were when he managed to put a little gravelly rumble on some of the lower notes. Again as the innocent tenant of fourteen G:

_Now the girl upstairs,_

_Wakes me unawares._

_Blowin' down from fifteen G, her reveille,_

_She's scatting like her name is Ella,_

_Guess who answers acapella?_

When Kurt began to switch between scatting and opera, on the flip of a coin, some of the boys couldn't help from cheering out mid-song, but quieted down when the music did. Kurt followed the tone of the room and quieted his voice to a meek shadow of its potential power.

_I'm not one to raise my voice,_

_Make a fuss, or speak my mind but,_

_Might a query…_

_Would you mind if…_

_Could you kindly…_

He looked up bashfully from underneath his eyelashes and caught Blaine's gaze for only a second, but saw a look of adoration so uninhibitedly placed on his face that he couldn't help but blush a little and look away as he belted out:

_Stop!_

_That felt good!_

_Stop!_

As Kurt started the grand finale, he sauntered around the room, full of all the star power he had. He commanded attention and the Warblers eagerly provided him with theirs, completely undivided.

_Thirteen, Fifteen, Fourteen G_

_A most unlikely trio,_

_Not quite three part harmony,_

_All day, all night, we're singin':_

And Kurt was off to defy everything the boys had previously thought possible as he hit soaring notes and elegantly swooped down to hit low, jazzy notes. Kurt finally stilled and planted his feet firmly while belting out the last few lines.

_Had my fill of peace and quiet,_

_Shout out loud, I've changed my diet,_

_All because of _

_Four. Teen. G!_

When the last echoes of the last note could no longer be heard, the silence in the room was busted wide open and cheering erupted. Plenty of the Warblers that Kurt didn't even know came up to pat him on the back or offer him a high five. Nick even went so far as to get down on bended knee and ask Kurt to marry him, which earned him a playful smack from Jeff who was trailing not too far behind.

When Kurt felt strong arms wrap around him he instantly stiffened, because he felt their chest on his cheek and Blaine wasn't that tall. Stepping back from the embrace, Kurt saw Jude smiling down at him; not his signature smirk, but a full blown smile, complete with a sparkle in his eyes. Kurt couldn't deny that this expression made Jude look almost attractive. Almost. Whatever appreciation Kurt had held for Jude's physical appearance before was erased the moment he left a bruise on his arm.

Kurt took another step back and gazed at Jude with a confused look. He thought that Jude was mad at him. Why was he being so nice?

Before he had any more time to ponder Jude's reaction, Kurt heard a gavel sound from the front of the room. The Warblers instantly quieted and Kurt felt himself being pulled down onto a couch. He looked over and found Blaine's big hazel eyes staring back at him with his familiar smile in place. But there was something else in his eyes. He looked impressed; he looked proud. Kurt had to fight to tear his gaze away from the beautiful boy currently smashed up against his side on the overcrowded couch, as he heard Wes clear his throat before addressing the other Warblers.

"Well, if the applause and proposal," he shot a pointed look at Nick, "wasn't enough indication," he paused looking around at all the smiling faces and finally rested his eyes on Kurt. "Welcome to the Warblers, Kurt."

Another round of cheering erupted, but this time it was filled with the excitement of having a countertenor for the first time in a long time.

Kurt soaked up the praise and smiled graciously through it all, loving how Blaine stayed tucked into his side on the couch.

Only once more, as everyone was filing out of the room, did Kurt feel Jude's gaze on him. He looked up and once again found that unsettling smile gracing his features; his eyes alight like he had some sort of secret. Kurt wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"We should celebrate!" David suggested as he bounded towards Kurt and Blaine.

"Food?" Blaine asked hopefully; straightening up and looking attentive.

"How many stomachs do you have?" Kurt joked.

Blaine bumped Kurt's shoulder with his own and smiled, "Hey, I'm a growing boy!"

"Keep dreaming, honey." Kurt said sweetly, patting Blaine's head to emphasize is short stature.

"Or maybe you too want to be alone to celebrate?" Wes, who had followed David over, asked suggestively.

Kurt's face turned a nice shade of pink and he blurted out, "yeah, let's all go get something to eat."

The awkward situation passed quickly as Wes and David rounded up Nick and Jeff to go to a local pizza place with them.

It only took about 10 minutes to get there, so they all piled into Jeff's SUV and quickly drove to the restaurant.

"How did you even find that song?" Nick asked once they were all seated at a big red circular booth in a far corner of the restaurant.

"When I was about 10 or so my dad got me this book of musical theatre songs, and 'The Girl in 14G' was in it. I liked it so much because it sounded like she was talking about living in New York City. It's not actually even from a musical though. It's just a song with a weirdly specific story." Kurt laughed freely and marveled at how easy it was to be himself around these guys.

"Well, you certainly blew every expectation I had out of the water. And I had high expectations to start with! My standards are pretty high." Wes said, pretending to inspect his nails with a haughty superiority.

"Yeah, sure they are, Wes," David said, patting his friends back soothingly, "just keep telling yourself that and maybe one day it will be true."

"I will, thank you very much!" Wes shot back.

Conversation flowed freely as their food eventually made its way to their table. Nick and Jeff cuddled shamelessly at the edge of the group, while Wes and David bickered like an old married couple. After pouting long enough, and throwing in a pair of puppy dog eyes, Blaine was able to convince Kurt to eat a second slice of pizza-even if Kurt did still insist on blotting all the grease off.

Since it was a Thursday night, curfew was 10 p.m. and the boys pushed that as they clambered up to their dorms at 9:56. High off of pizza and celebration, they were all giggling incessantly and a tad too loud.

"No, I want to play Kurt!" Wes cried.

"But I'm taller!" David explained

"Blaine isn't _that _much shorter than Kurt!" Wes argued.

"Um, I'm sorry," Blaine interrupted, trying to be a good sport about Wes and David's antics, "but you called me nothing but 'the hobbit' for the first few months you knew me."

Rolling his eyes and conceding, Wes grumbled, "Fine. I'll play Blaine."

"Hey! Why don't you want to play me?" Blaine asked in feigned disbelief.

"Kurt's hair is immaculate. It should be the 8th wonder of the world." Wes deadpanned.

"_Anyways," _David finally jumped back in, "if we could please continue with the reenactment of Kurt and Blaine's first meeting!"

Kurt had been a fierce shade of red since Wes and David had offered to put on their little show. He had merely bit his tongue and stayed silent, trying not to be embarrassed with Blaine standing right next to him.

"The scene? The Warblers common room." Wes began narrating dramatically, "The time? A little after noon. The song? Teenage dream."

At that, Wes broke from his narrator character and started sidestepping, singing Teenage Dream, loud and proud, pointing to David who stood with a hand to his heart and a lovesick expression on his face.

When Wes' rendition on Katy Perry was done, he smoothly approached David and caressed his face. "Hey there." He said in a deep smooth voice, arching one eyebrow suggestively.

"Hi." David replied, sounding breathy.

"What's a beautiful creature, such as yourself doing in the hallowed halls of Dalton Academy? I swear I would have recognized a face as entrancing as yours." He moved his hand down to rest lightly on David's waist, toying with the fabric of his sweater.

"I'm not from around here." David answered, batting his eyelashes. "But I wish I was." He finished seductively, giving Wes a smoldering gaze.

In one swift movement, Wes used his grip on David's waist to pull the other boy flush against him, and David, in response, hitched his leg over Wes' hip, hands splayed across his chest.

Wes spoke in a low but frantic voice, "I knew I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on your perfectly coiffed hair, and your ever-changing eyes. I want you be my side always. Love me Kurt, please. Love me as I love you." It was so over dramatic that even soap opera actors would find it cheesy.

David's response was to clap a hand over Wes' mouth and pretend to make out with him.

Nick and Jeff started hooting and hollering as the dynamic duo pulled apart and took turns taking bows. "Thank you, thank you!" They called into the empty halls.

Blaine could feel his face catch fire. He was about 98% sure that his face was _actually_ on fire. Kurt stood next to him, staring straight forward, pale as a sheet.

"Well goodnight you two!" David called in their direction as he and Wes sprinted off to their dorm, hoping to slip inside without being seen since it was now 10:04 and officially past curfew.

Jeff and Nick also said their good nights; first to Kurt and Blaine who still stood, looking mortified at the little play, and then to each other since Jeff's roommate was Jude and Nick was with Trent, a fellow Warbler.

After a good minute of complete silence, Blaine finally shifted to the side and looked at Kurt's flushed face.

"I don't really wiggle my eyebrows that much, do I?" Blaine asked with real concern in his voice.

Kurt couldn't help but laugh a little at that. But the laugh didn't stop there. It turned into loud guffaws that had him holding his belly and shaking like a leaf.

"O-of, all the th-things you c-could have said…you ch-choose that?" He laughed even more and noticed Blaine was still staring at him curiously, waiting for an answer, if not with at least a little amusement in his expression now.

Kurt worked on calming his laughter and finally, turning to Blaine, assured him, "No Blaine, you don't wiggle your eyebrows that much." And then as an afterthought added, "Do I really bat my eyelashes." It seemed so harlequin romance novel to him.

"No, you don't" Blaine answered with a smile growing on his lips.

"Well," Kurt tried to think of something adequate to say, "That was completely inaccurate. I mean, when did we start stealing lines from 'All My Children' to fuel our conversations. I was just waiting for Nick to jump in as the tennis instructor who has cancer and is actually an evil twin."

Blaine chuckled and shook his head, "yeah, it sure was something…" Blaine trailed off and let a surprisingly comfortable silence envelope them.

"Well," Kurt said at last, "I guess we should go. It's past curfew."

"Oh yeah, right." Blaine said and watched Kurt turn around and open his dorm room and step inside.

"You really do have perfect hair." Blaine called out and hey that wasn't supposed to be said out loud but oh well.

Kurt blushed lightly, and shoved his head through the gap in the doorway, the rest of his body still hidden behind the door. "Thanks. And you're not really that short." He assured Blaine, "in fact, it's sort of cute." And hey, that wasn't supposed to happen either, but oh well.

Kurt just blushed deeper, whispered goodnight to Blaine and slipped back inside his room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Blaine grinned stupidly at the door for an embarrassingly long time and then finally whispered back a 'goodnight' a good minute after Kurt had closed the door, and hey, that wasn't supposed to be so pitifully lovesick, but it was okay because it felt right, and Blaine was sure that nothing had ever felt this right before.

**A/N: So, what did you think of the song choice? I wanted to use something different and I've sung this song before so it kept popping up in my head. The song is called 'The Girl in 14G'. If you want to listen to a really good version, go to You tube and type in 'The Girl in 14G Kristen Chenoweth'. It's superb. And as always, I love hearing from you guys so review or send me a PM!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So from some of you that I talked to you like the song in the last chapter! Whew! I was a little worried about that, so it's good to hear! I'm still loving the reviews and followers and favorites! I hope you like this chapter! You get some pretty adorable Klaineness (Klaineness. Definition: Klaine being their adorable selves.) So I'll shut up and let you read now. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 9**

"Blaine!" Kurt complained as the shorter boy tugged him down the hallway on Friday. Chemistry, Kurt and Blaine's last class of the day, had just ended when Blaine had snatched Kurt's hand into his own and started pulling him towards their dorm building. Now standing outside of Blaine's dorm, Blaine turned to face the slightly taller boy with a smile that could cure cancer.

"Okay, so I know that we sort of celebrated last night with the guys, but I thought that maybe we could do something."

_Just the two of us? _Kurt wanted to ask, but instead, he narrowed his eyes at Blaine and asked, "Do you have something in mind?"

"Oh, I don't know," Blaine said innocently, "I just thought maybe we could watch your favorite movie of all time." He said it like it was no big deal, and just stood, swaying softly and inspecting his nails.

"No. Way." Kurt said, disbelief heavy in his voice. "You'd be willing to sit through 'The Sound of Music' with me? Beginning to end? No falling asleep and optional singing along?"

Kurt hadn't had someone watch the entire movie with him since his mom died when he was 8. His dad had made a noble effort, but couldn't seem to keep his eyes open passed the halfway mark. Carole wasn't opposed to the idea, but she was always working or cooking or cleaning, or doing something that earned her the title of best wife/mother ever. The majority of his friends were simply not interested, and even though Rachel had been all for it, they had never found the time. Now here he was, with a beautiful boy, who was nodding through-out his list of conditions, the smile never leaving his lips.

"Absolutely!" Blaine said, opening his door and ushering Kurt inside, "we have to experience the movie as it is meant to be experienced."

Kurt settled himself on the bed, back against the headboard, watching as Blaine loaded the disc into his Blu-ray player.

"Wait, hold on!" Kurt said suddenly, jumping up and grabbing his bag on his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Blaine said, a little panic in his voice and a little disappointment in his eyes.

"I'm just going to change into my pajamas and out of this hideous polyester blend blazer." He picked at the lapel with disgust, "I'll be back in 5."

Blaine did the same and, true to his word, Kurt arrived 5 minutes later dressed in long deep blue sleep pants and a baby blue tank top.

They settled at the head of the bed as Maria started bounding through the beautiful Austrian mountain side.

Kurt could feel the heat of Blaine's bare arm next to his. Blaine had also opted for a tank top, however, his was a deep plum purple, and he wore gray sweats.

"This is such a good movie." Blaine said quietly, almost as if he were saying it under his breath.

Kurt glanced over and Blaine smiled back just a little before turning back to the screen.

A feeling of contentment washed through Kurt. He couldn't ever remember feeling this safe and secure with another person before. _I could fall in love with him so easily, _Kurt thought automatically. It wasn't forced or planned, the thought just came naturally. And that's what made Kurt terrified. He had had crushes before; first with Finn and then briefly with Sam, so he knew how these things worked. You invest your trust in someone and after you're sure they won't hurt you, you gingerly lower your heart into their hands. And for a while, it's beautiful. Your heart stops when they look at you and it quickens when they step closer, and they hold your heart through it all. They hold your heart as it beats. But it was too delicate to last. It was all too fragile and they clumsily squeeze their hands too tight and crush your heart into a mangled mass. Every single time. It was human nature. However, despite all of that, despite the inevitability, Kurt couldn't make himself move an inch from his spot, because the thought of having his heart held tenderly in Blaine's grasp, if even only for a minute, was so achingly perfect and so blindingly wonderful that Kurt wanted it with all of his heart, all of his mind, all of his soul. All that he was, wanted Blaine. Who was he kidding? He wasn't just falling anymore; he was way past that point. _I love him_, Kurt realized, _I love this man. _

With this realization weighing heavily on his mind, Kurt closed the distance between their bodies by scooting over the extra inch needed to press his side up against Blaine's. Then, without a second's hesitation, Kurt lowered his head onto Blaine's strong, broad shoulder.

Blaine made a sound reminiscent of approval, but stayed still.

Throughout the course of the movie, Blaine had slid down to lay on the bed, with Kurt moving with him, using his shoulder as a pillow.

Neither boy made it to the end. Wrapped up in the warmth of each other, they dozed off during the final 30 minutes.

*~Line Break~*

Sun light was streaming through the blinds as Blaine saw Kurt's eyes flutter open.

He knew that he should remove his hand from his back and unwrap his arm from Kurt, but some things really were easier said than done.

Kurt, however, didn't seem to mind as he nuzzled his face into Blaine's chest and sighed in pleasure.

"Where?" Kurt's voice muffled by Blaine's chest.

"We fell asleep towards the end." Blaine explained quietly.

"Re-do." Kurt laughed huskily, sending chills all over Blaine's body.

"Hmm?" he asked, sleep still heavy in his voice.

"We said we would watch it beginning to end, no sleeping." Kurt said, "Oh well!" and he topped it off with a giggle that made a lazy grin stretch across Blaine's face.

"You're really comfy." Kurt muttered and tightened his hold on Blaine's neck.

Blaine chuckled slightly; voice rough from sleep. "You're really warm."

Kurt turned his head up to gaze at Blaine and slid his hand down from his neck to rest on Blaine's very defined chest.

Blaine smiled softly back and watched as Kurt's hand began to wonder down to his chest. His smile fell off though when he noticed the bruise on Kurt's wrist.

He gently plucked Kurt's hand off of his body and held it close to his face, as if expecting to read of the origin on Kurt's skin.

"What's this?" Blaine said, still relaxed, but with a little edge creeping into his voice.

To be honest, Kurt had forgotten that it was even still there. "I, uh, I tripped in the hallway?" Kurt said it as if it were a question.

"No you didn't," Blaine said, eyes burning holes into the bruise. The way the bruise wrapped around his wrist was a tell-tale sign. His eyes snapped up to find Kurt's

"Who did this?" Blaine's voice was low and threatening, and matched his eyes that were filled with anger.

Kurt remained quiet. It wasn't that he wanted to defend Jude or not let Blaine help; it was just a little embarrassing. It made him feel weak.

"Kurt, who did this?" Blaine reiterated.

Sighing, Kurt lowered his gaze and slide out a very quiet, "Jude" before chancing another look at Blaine.

Blaine couldn't have moved if he had wanted to. He was feeling so many things at once-anger, protectiveness, relief, sadness, worry- that his head was spinning. One second he wanted to punch a wall, the next he wanted to cry with relief that nothing worse had happened. So he did the only thing that made sense no matter what emotion he was experiencing that second; he rolled over onto his side, facing Kurt, and pulled him close.

Kurt buried his face into Blaine's neck and felt the tears gather beneath his eyelids. This was all he wanted; just to be close. _I love him, _he marveled silently.

"Shh, shh, it's okay." Blaine cooed, not even bothering to edit out the more -than -friends care in his voice. He pressed a light kiss into his hair, and kept him tucked into his chest.

"Kurt, why didn't you tell me?" he asked, pulling away just enough to reveal Kurt's face.

"I don't know," Kurt said, surprised with how steady his voice sounded, "I guess I just thought it wasn't that big of a deal." He shrugged like it really wasn't an issue.

"Hey, listen to me," Blaine said firmly, using his index finger to guide Kurt's chin up, coaxing him to return eye contact, "anytime anyone, and I mean _anyone, _hurts you, it's a big deal, okay?"

Kurt nodded, keeping his gaze locked on Blaine. He was so close. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. He could feel his breath hitting his face. He saw something close to adoration in his gaze, but he could have been imagining that one. All Kurt knew was that Blaine was everywhere right now. His entire field of vision was filled with him, not that he was complaining. It would be so easy to lean over and kiss him. A real, proper, honest to God kiss, on the lips. And what was stopping him?

"The bacon is- Hello!" David quickly covered his eyes and retreated back to stand in the doorway.

"Oh my God, oh my god, please tell me you're clothed under there!"

"David, we're-"

"WAIT! Never mind, I change my mind! I don't want to know! I'm going to leave never knowing what happened here, because that's better than the alternative of knowing that I walked in on you two having sex!" David's face was bright red and he looked incredibly uncomfortable as he backed out of the room, hands raised in a surrender position.

"David, we have clothes on." Blaine finally got out. To prove his point, he threw the covers off of himself and Kurt, to reveal two fully clothed bodies that were now a respectful distance apart.

"Oh." David said, sounding a little dumbstruck. "Well, in that case, there is fresh bacon in the cafeteria." His voice was even and steady and almost sounded exhausted as the relief rushed through his system. He then promptly shut the door, leaving Kurt and Blaine lying there silently.

"Wow," Kurt breathed out. He couldn't help it when a ridiculous laugh bubbled up out of him. The whole thing was rather silly.

Blaine quickly joined in and they dissolved into a fit of giggles. Oh poor David.

*~Line Break~*

After a day of finishing up his makeup work, Kurt had decided that he deserved a little sunshine. He grabbed a light jacket, since fall was definitely making itself known, and headed out to stroll around the campus.

Dalton still put Kurt in a state of awe. The architecture was pure art and the landscaping was like a man-made reenactment of the Garden of Eden. Every single aspect of the school fit so well together. From the library to the dorms, there was sense of cohesion and uniform order, yet it never got boring.

Kurt was so immersed in his scrutiny of the ivy growing up the side of the library building, that he didn't hear another body sidle up next to him.

"Hey," Jude's deep, smooth voice sounded, "I've missed you."

Kurt jumped about a foot in the air, "Jesus, Jude, don't _do _that!" he put a hand over his hammering heart, trying to calm his breathing.

"Sorry," he chuckled, a little amused at Kurt's response. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Why?" Kurt was honestly confused. He had been under the impression that Jude was mad at him after the 'date'.

"Because I feel like our date ended on bad terms and I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry Kurt, if I made you feel uncomfortable." His eyes were cloudy with honesty mixed in there, but something else as well. Something undecipherable.

Kurt stared back for a moment, trying to piece together what Jude was saying, and whether or not he should listen to him. The bruise on his wrist said no, but that damn over trusting part of himself said yes and before he could think any further his mouth was moving of its own accord.

"Thank you, Jude. I accept your apology." He smiled a thin, close lipped smile that probably looked pretty pathetic, but Jude just beamed back at him, falling into step with Kurt as he began to walk the paths of Dalton again.

"So, congrats on becoming a Warbler." Jude said smoothly.

"Thanks," Kurt said.

They fell into an awkward silence, but continued walking side by side.

"Okay, I just got to try something." Jude said lightly, and he leaned over to kiss Kurt.

"What the hell!" Kurt yelled, pushing Jude back before he could actually press his lips to Kurt's.

"Come on, give it a chance!" Jude suggested, his hands splayed wide in an innocent gesture.

"No. I don't want to, and I'm asking you to respect that." Kurt was trying so hard to keep his cool, but as pictures of Karofsky flew around his head, he felt himself slipping.

Jude stood, examining Kurt, as if trying to find out how the puzzle fit together. He pursed his lips and with narrowed eyes asked, "This is because of Blaine, isn't it?"

Kurt sped up, trying to escape. He so did not want to have this conversation, especially with Jude.

"Look, I see how you two look at each other. It's gross." Jude said lightly, laughing a little at their obliviousness, "But Blaine? Really? That's a major appliance, not a name!"

Kurt couldn't help but smile, "Pretty in Pink? I didn't peg you for liking chick flicks."

"Well, I _am _gay." Jude smiled.

There it was, that smile. The one that replaced his smirk and made him look halfway human. It made him look sincere and genuine and almost like just another guy.

Kurt chuckled softly and looked up at Jude, "you know, you're a pretty nice guy when you're not being an ass."

"Define being an ass." Jude asked, playing along.

"Trying to shove your tongue down my throat and invading my personal space like the beaches of Normandy." Kurt deadpanned.

"Ah, I see." Jude said quietly, still smiling a little. "Wait!" he said suddenly, stopping mid-step, "are we actually having a civil conversation?" He pretended to act aghast, which earned him a playful eye roll from Kurt.

"Yes, I believe we are." Kurt said with a shadow of surprise seeping into his voice.

CRASH!

Kurt looked up to see a small, redheaded boy chasing after his stack of books that were now scattered everywhere. Calvin was blushing like mad and kept glancing up at Kurt before looking immediately away.

"Well, it was nice while it lasted." Jude sighed, "See you around?"

"See you at Warbler's rehearsal on Monday." Kurt replied with a small smile.

Jude turned to walk away, but after a few steps he pivoted around to face Kurt, "Hey, Kurt," he said, keeping his distance several paces away, "I really do want to try to be friends."

Kurt's smile grew a little larger; he hadn't wanted any enemies after only a week or two at his new school. This was a good thing. Or the stupidest thing he'd ever done, he wasn't really sure. "Me too." He said.

Jude nodded, seemingly happy with that answer and turned to walk away.

"Hey," Kurt called out as he approached Calvin, who was still trying to collect his belongings, "want some help?"

Calvin's blush just intensified, and he ducked his head down. So Kurt knelt down and started scooping up book after book, before standing and handing the stack back to Calvin. The stack extended taller than the shorter boys head and swayed dangerously.

"Here, let me help you." Kurt offered, as he took the top four books into his arms. "Lead the way."

Calvin stood and stared for a second, as if he wasn't quite sure if he was dreaming or not. Finally, he nodded, almost imperceptibly, and slowly started picking his way across campus to Thorne: one of the other dorm buildings.

"So," Kurt started, trying to break the silence, "what are all these books for?"

"Finals." He answered softly.

"But the first round of finals isn't until December."

"Never too early to start learning about…well, everything really." He scoffed a little at himself.

Kurt giggled a little, hoping to reassure the boy, who still seemed quite shy. "Are you trying to become the world's smartest man or something? Do you have the Encyclopedia Britannica underneath your bed?" he teased lightly.

A small smile began to tug on his lips as he flashed Kurt a quick glance, "No, not yet, but I'm working on it. A book containing over 44 million words is remarkably pricey."

Kurt smiled. It was nice to talk to someone relatively normal. After daily exposure to Wes and David, he was afraid their craziness would rub off on him. Nick and Jeff were nice, but seemed to be living in their own little love drenched world. And then there was this morning with Blaine. Sure, it had been relaxed and natural to be held by him, and to hold him in return. Not to mention it felt right beyond belief, but Blaine wasn't his to keep. They were friends and nothing more, and as far as he knew, that was all that Blaine wanted. So, Kurt assumed it would be safe to say that things could get a little weird between them.

Glancing back to Calvin, he asked, "So how long have you been at Dalton?"

"First year, I'm a freshman."

"Junior," Kurt said, pointing to himself, "but it's my first year too."

Calvin nodded but left it at that. Kurt was glad he didn't ask questions; he really wasn't in the mood to answer those kinds of questions right now.

"So, I have to ask: Are you always this clumsy?" He smiled to show the boy that he was asking in good humor; not to embarrass the boy. "I mean, every time I see you it's because you've dropped something."

Calvin's blush stained his cheeks instantly. "Oh uhh, I just,well yes, I mean no." he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and then rushed forward with, "I _am _really clumsy, but it's just that you make me forget to…" he seemed to be struggling with finding the right words, "breath…" he whispered. Then his eyes widened as he realized that he had said that out loud.

"Oh God, I'm not trying to, like, hit on you or something! All though I today would, I mean, cause, you're, you're uh well, you're hot, but I just ummm, Oh God…" he rambled senselessly, the blush never letting up.

Finally they stopped in front of Calvin's dorm room, which was mercifully on the bottom level.

Kurt smiled warmly. "Well, it was nice getting to _actually_ meet you, and not just ask if you're okay." He set the books down on the floor next to the door as Calvin unlocked it.

The door suddenly swung open to reveal a slightly pudgy blond boy with big blue eyes. He was fairly short and round, and appeared to be a freshman like Calvin.

"Dude, what took you so long? I've been-" he stopped suddenly when he realized Kurt standing their patiently.

"Hi!" he chirped, his round face lighting up as he offered his hand to Kurt for a firm handshake, "I'm Billy, Calvin's roommate!"

"Kurt." Kurt replied, returning the handshake. He couldn't help but smile back at Billy's infectious attitude. He was one of those naturally nice people.

"Oh, you're the guy that Calvin goes on and on abo-oof!" Calvin planted his hands firmly on Billy's chest and shoved him back into the room, following the same trajectory, Calvin ended up standing in the doorway, facing Kurt, his blush renewed to a brand new shade of red. His mouth kept opening and closing like he wanted to say something, but was having a hard time finding his voice.

"I guess I'll see you around?" Kurt asked, taking the initiative.

Calvin nodded, smiling that small wedge of perfectly white teeth.

"Good." Kurt said warmly and waved a small wave before turning around and making his way to the exit.

Kurt liked being the more confident one for once. It made him feel in control, like he held all the cards. Calvin was sweet, but the poor boy could hardly string together a sentence without blushing at something. Kurt didn't know why, but he had a soft spot in his heart for Calvin, a want to protect him. Maybe it was because Kurt knew what it was like to second guess your every move. He knew what it felt like to be powerless and defenseless and just plain nervous.

But not anymore. Blaine had helped him through that, and maybe now he could pass that favor on to Calvin; help him find some confidence. Some courage.

*~Line Break~*

He just had to be patient. It wasn't exactly his forte, but Jude always got what he wanted. So if he wanted a tall, slender, chestnut haired boy with the voice of an angel, then he would have that boy. It was just a matter of time. If he played the friends card right, he could build up Kurt's trust, until he had him right where he wanted him: in his bed. After all, the whole friends thing seemed to work for Blaine. Maybe he had been on to something. Too bad all of Blaine's hard work would all be for nothing. Jude would make sure of that.

**A/N: So Jude's still a jerk at heart. Wow, shocker (note the sarcasm). Oh and I hope you don't worry about Calvin being competition for Blaine, cause he's not, I promise. If it helps, I picture Calvin as the little boy from 'Love Actually'. You know, Liam Nieson's son, Sam? Except a little older of course! Anyways, I hope you'll review or send me a PM! Always love talking to you guys! : )**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey everyone, how are you doing? I'm doing well thanks to all of you who are still following and reviewing and adding me to your favorites. It just sort of blows my mind. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, maybe because I went a little song happy in this one. There is not just one, but two songs headed your way! One is Broadway (I just couldn't resist!) and the other is more contemporary. Once again, I will include the song titles in the end Authors Note. Anyways, like always, I really hope you like this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 10**

_Warm hands traveled up and down his sides, caressing his every curve. He felt the frantic breaths puffing against his neck and the roll of Kurt's tongue as it danced around his skin to taste. Blaine felt the weight of Kurt pressing him down into the mattress and his back arched up to keep them pressed close. Blaine bit back a groan as Kurt broke free and leveled his gaze on him. Blaine could see the lust clouding his beautiful blue eyes, but he also saw something else. Something more powerful._

_ "I love you," Kurt purred before moving down to capture Blaine's lips in an excruciatingly slow, thorough kiss._

_ His hands snaked lower and lower, eventually slipping beneath the thin cotton barrier of Blaine's shirt…_

Blaine awoke with a jolt. His breathing was heavy and ragged, so he got up to splash his face with some ice cold water, before flopping back down on his mattress, on top of the rumpled covers.

The dream was never exactly the same. Some nights he and Kurt were on a date, holding hands at an Italian restaurant. Some nights they were making out on the couch in Kurt's living room while Lifetime movies played in the background. Some nights, they were lying, sweaty and tangled in Blaine's bed, with dreamy looks on their faces. No, the dreams were never the exact same, but they always ended shortly after Kurt said the same exact three words: I love you. And it was driving Blaine mad.

It always sounded so real. It was agony waking up, because for a split second after he would awaken, he would still believe that Kurt _did _love him and _had _confessed it to him. But he hadn't, and as far as Blaine was concerned, he never would.

However, Blaine was truly surprised with just how much this realization hurt him. Sure, he had known since he had practically laid eyes on Kurt that he had a crush on him, but he hadn't realized that it had evolved into something greater. Then they had fallen asleep together, and everything had changed.

It had been nearly a week since that night and Blaine still couldn't shake the sheer _want _that he felt. It's like Kurt was his drug, and he needed a hit. Now he knew what it felt like to hold him in his arms, as they lay, vulnerable to the world, and it was indescribable. To know that the heart beating against your own is the man that you have come to need, is a completely remarkable experience. And to know that you'll never get that chance again? It made Blaine want to cry because his arms felt so empty, his bed so cold. The peacefulness that he had felt while wrapped in Kurt was soothing and made him feel like he was safe and secure, tucked away in a cocoon away from the cold world. And now it was gone.

He missed Kurt when he was with him, because he wasn't _with _him with him.

And it hurt so badly, because he loved him.

Blaine was shocked he hadn't come to this conclusion long ago. Of course he loved Kurt. He was bitchy and sarcastic with one hell of a 'bitch please' glare, but he was undyingly loyal and friendly and made sure everyone felt included. He had a huge heart that was so filled with compassion that he was afraid the world would taint it somehow, but Kurt was strong and brave, and fought the bad away with a single smile, or witty comment, and held on to his optimism with a courage he had never seen.

So yes, he loved Kurt Hummel. And the love itself felt wonderful, but the knowledge that Kurt wasn't anything but his friend hurt like hell.

Rolling over, Blaine scrolled through his iPod until he found his super-secret 'Kurt' playlist. No one was ever to know that he had an entire playlist dedicated to Kurt. He set it to shuffle and smiled as the first song came on. It was jazzy and not only made him think of Kurt because of the lyrics, but because it was from a musical. In fact, Kurt had introduced Blaine to this song back when they had first started hanging out, saying that Ella Fitzgerald could make any song into an instant classic.

_When the mellow moon begins to beam_

_Every night I dream a little dream;_

_And of course Prince charming is the theme:_

Blaine smiled as he remembered his dream about his Prince Charming, and then blushed fiercely as he remembered that Prince Charming was supposed to be an innocent Disney character and his dream of Kurt was anything but innocent. Shaking those thoughts from his head, he focused back in on the song as she sang:

_The he for me._

_Although I realize as well as you_

_It is seldom that a dream comes true,_

_To me it's clear_

_That he'll appear._

And Blaine hoped he would. Hoped that Kurt would show up one day with an epiphany about their relationship. He closed his eyes tight and began to sing along softly as if he were making a wish.

_Someday he'll come along,_

_The man I love;_

_And he'll be big and strong,_

_The man I love;_

_And when he comes my way,_

_I'll do my best to make him stay._

And he would, Blaine thought- no he _knew _he would. He would cherish Kurt for every second he had him and would do everything in his power to keep him by his side. _We would be so good together, _Blaine thought wistfully.

_He'll look at me and smile,_

_I'll understand;_

_And in a little while_

_He'll take my hand;_

_And though it seems absurd,_

_I know we both won't_

_Say a word_

Blaine smiled at how true that was. They didn't even need words to express exactly what they were feeling.

_Maybe I shall meet him Sunday,_

_Maybe Monday, maybe not;_

_Still I'm sure to meet him one day,_

_Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day._

Blaine smiled because he knew he had already found his man. _My man. _Blaine tried the words out in his mind and found that he liked them when associated to Kurt. Clearing his thoughts, he focused on the next part of the song, feeling the meaning deep down in his bones.

_He'll build a little home,_

_Just meant for two;_

_From which I'll never roam,_

_Who would? Would you?_

_And so, all else above,_

_I'm waiting for the man I love_

And Blaine could see it. He could see so many possible futures with Kurt. New York and apartments and houses and picket fences and children and _everything. _He could see it clear as day and in every single scenario, they looked happy. So heartbreakingly, beautifully happy, that he couldn't help but wonder if Kurt saw these scenes in his head too.

*~Line Break~*

After about an hour of listening to songs too sappy for their own good, Blaine forced himself up and out of his room, in search of coffee.

As he stumbled into the common room at the end of his floor, he was met with the same beautiful blue eyes he had been imagining all morning.

Kurt was sitting on a large leather couch, books scattered all around him with a small red-headed boy curled into his side, with his coppery haired head on Kurt's shoulder, effectively trapping him.

"Help me!" Kurt pleaded with wide eyes, making a small grabbing motion for Blaine, trying not to wake his friend.

Blaine tried to stifle his laugh, and moved across the room to Kurt where he stopped in front of him.

He quirked an eyebrow inquisitively, shooting a glance at the mystery boy.

"I'll explain later." Kurt huffed, once again reaching out for Blaine's hands. When he did, his shoulder shifted just a tad too much and disturbed the boy's sleep slightly.

They both froze as he mumbled something quietly and threw his arm across Kurt, latching on, before snuggling his face into Kurt's shoulder once again and drifting back into a peaceful slumber.

Kurt squeaked as Calvin gave him a slight, unconscious squeeze.

Even though Kurt clearly was uncomfortable with this boy cuddling into him, Blaine couldn't help being equal parts jealous and amused. Deciding to get the whole story later, he reached out and grabbed both of Kurt's hands in his, and tugged him up swiftly.

Kurt let out yet another small squeak as he found himself suddenly on his feet after a night of being pinned down by Calvin. Couple that with two legs that are asleep after a long period of inactivity, and staying vertical isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world. He stumbled forward into Blaine's chest and looked up to find him gazing down. Warm hazel on melting ice.

"Hmm," Calvin hummed, beginning to awaken from his sleep.

Blaine caught the panicked look that flashed through Kurt's eyes and, without a second thought, he grabbed Kurt's hand and dragged him out of the common room, out of the dorms, and into the cool morning sun of the courtyard.

He led him over to the small coffee cart that took up residence on weekends in Dalton. They stood, catching their breath before Kurt started to giggle quietly. He couldn't help it. There was something so utterly silly about Blaine's rescue.

"What?" Blaine asked, starting to laugh along with Kurt's infectious laugh.

"Oh, my hero!" Kurt teased, putting the back of his hand dramatically to his forehead and fluttering his eyelashes.

"Glad to see my services being appreciated." Blaine said, feigning irritation. He sobered up a little though when he remembered his question from earlier.

"So who was that anyway?" he asked as he shoved Kurt's hand back from paying and picked up their two coffees, leading them to sit on a bench not too far away.

"Oh, well," Kurt said, settling in, as if preparing to share a monster of a story. "His name is Calvin and he's a freshman. I met him, well technically on my…meeting…with Jude. He dropped all his stuff and I helped him pick it up. He actually dropped his tray by our lunch table that same day, do you remember?"

Blaine thought back to that day. He remembered being super moody and not at all pleasant to anyone or anything. He was pretty sure he had yelled at his English book to go to hell at some point in the day. So, no, he didn't really remember a kid dropping his tray. He simply shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee to avoid speaking.

Kurt didn't seem to notice. "Oh, well, anyways, I officially met him about a week ago. I mean, like we actually talked for a little bit. He's really sweet and seems a little shy, but he's crazy smart. So last night, he asked me if I would help him study for his AP Physics test. Obviously, he didn't make it very far before crashing…on me."

"He looked quite comfortable." Blaine hinted, trying to figure out the status of their relationship. He quirked an eyebrow to reveal his true intent.

"No, Blaine, don't even go there!" Kurt cried, face heating up in flames. "He's just a friend, he just-" he cut himself off abruptly.

"He just what?" Blaine asked, dreading the answer.

Kurt huffed out a loud breath of pent up air. "He sort of has a crush on me…" he trailed off before jumping back in with, "but that's it! I think he could be a good friend, but that's all!"

Blaine silently chuckled, feeling relief flood his veins. Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders and gave it a squeeze. He froze as he felt Kurt tense at the unexpected contact. An intense second passed as he wondered whether or not he should move his arm away. Kurt ended up making up his mind for him; he shifted closer and snuggled almost unnoticeably into Blaine's side. But it wasn't unnoticeable to him. He felt Kurt push his body delicately closer to his and felt him seeking the warmth that Blaine's arm offered. He squeezed Kurt's shoulder again.

"I told you that you should get used to people being interested in you," Blaine said lightly, loving how natural their position was, "you're a very interesting person."

Kurt beamed up at him and instead of saying 'Thank You' he just snuggled more firmly into Blaine's side, causing the curly headed Warbler to shiver.

*~Line Break~*

"So when do we get to see you again?" Burt asked through the phone.

Kurt was laying on his bed, with his head hanging off, talking to his father while Blaine, Nick, Jeff, Wes, and David all sat around lounging and enjoying a lazy Saturday. Blaine was attempting to teach Wes some guitar chords while Jeff and David were in the middle of an intense game of connect 4.

"I don't know dad. How about next weekend?"

"That would be great." Kurt could hear Burt's smile through the phone line. "I miss you, Kurt. We all do." Burt cleared his voice, trying to clear the emotion out. "Especially Carol. She hasn't had anyone to bake with since you left and I think she's suffering from withdrawals."

Kurt laughed, "Awww, you're wife: the baking junkie. How cute."

"Hey, I'm not complaining." Burt chuckled back.

There was a small pause as their soft laughter died out. "I miss you too, dad." Kurt said, letting out a small sigh.

"Hey now, none of that." Burt stressed, "we'll see you next weekend, right?"

"Absolutely dad. Can't wait. Love you." Kurt smiled.

"Love you too, kiddo. Talk to you later." And with that he hung up to go back to work.

Kurt lowered his phone from his face with a sigh.

As much as he loved Dalton, and all the friends he had made, he missed his Dad like crazy. His dad had been one of his best and only friends, growing up. Even as he got older and started making other friends of his own, his dad always remained one of the people closest to him. So, it was hard when the person closest to you is so far away.

"You okay?" Blaine asked quietly from beside him suddenly. He sat cross legged on the floor with his guitar, gazing up at Kurt.

"Hm?" Kurt asked, breaking from his reverie, "Oh yeah, I'm fine."

Blaine gave him that, "yeah, right' look and continued staring at him, setting his guitar down to signify that he was listening.

"I just," Kurt huffed, running a hand through his hair and instantly moving his hands to fix any damage he may have caused, "I miss my dad." His voice came out sounded a little choked. "I miss my family." Kurt said, sounding like a small child, tears beginning to fill his eyes.

"Hey, hey," Blaine said soothingly, getting up to sit next to Kurt on the bed and pulling him into a gentle hug.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked from across the room. All the other boys had stopped to watch the spectacle of Kurt and Blaine.

Blaine pulled away from Kurt, keeping a hand rubbing soothingly on his back and explained, "He misses his family. They're really close."

Nick's eyes filled with sympathy. "Hey, it's okay Kurt." He said, standing and moving across the room to scoop up Kurt's hands in his own. "They'll always be there for you."

Kurt sniffed. He would be more embarrassed at his tears if he wasn't so overwhelmed by his friends love at the moment. "I know, it's just hard being so far from them after having nothing _but _them for so long."

"But you've got us now!" Wes beamed from across the room, gesturing to all of the people in the room like they were obviously quiet impressive.

Kurt couldn't help but laugh; they were too good to him.

"What Wes meant to say," David interjected, "was that you'll always have your family, but now you also have us. Sort of like a bonus family."

"Exactly what I said." Wes said, "Except I would have thrown in some cool name instead of the bonus family. Something like 'The League of Extra-Ordinary Friends'."

"Is that the best you've got? Because you're comforting techniques suck." David challenged, raising his eyebrow playfully at his best friend.

Wes seemed to mull that one over before answering with, "No," he smiled devilishly, and stood up, "I could have started singing."

_I've been trying to do it right_

_I've been living a lonely life_

Wes was smiling like a mad man, obviously happy with everyone's surprised faces. He gestured around the room as he sang the next line:

_I've been sleeping here instead_

He smiled at Kurt, and pulled him up to stand.

_I've been sleeping in my bed_

_I've been sleeping in my bed_

He started racing around the room, pulling everyone to their feet, dancing around trying to coerce them into joining in. The other boys couldn't help the smiles from blooming on their faces. Wes stomped his foot and the David jumped in, singing with his friend.

_So show me family_

_All the blood that I would bleed_

_I don't know where I belong_

_I don't know where I went wrong_

_But I can write a song!_

They sang to Kurt the whole time, with smiles on their faces that begged him to smile back. And he was, he couldn't help it. He really did have a bonus family here, with these boys. Seeing the smile on Kurt's face caused Blaine to scoop up his guitar and start playing the chorus with Wes and David as Nick and Jeff joined in as well.

_1, 2, 3_

_I belong with you, you belong with me,_

_You're my sweet heart_

_I belong with you, you belong with me,_

_You're my sweet (ho!)_

All the boys were stomping their feet in time with the music now, and Nick went to grab the connect 4 game to shake like a tambourine. Jeff laughed through his singing at his boyfriend's antics and pulled him into a silly dance. Wes was still singing like no bodies business while David followed his lead. Blaine looked absolutely blissed out to be playing his guitar so freely. And Kurt, well he felt free. He felt the energy racing through this room, jumping from one boy to the next.

_I don't think you're right for him_

_Look at what it might have been if you_

_Took a bus to Chinatown_

_I've been standing on Canal_

_And Bowery_

_And she'd be standing next to me_

They all continued to dance around the room, Kurt included, as he let his voice mingle with everyone else's.

_1, 2, 3_

_I belong with you, you belong with me_

_You're my sweet heart_

_I belong with you, you belong with me_

_You're my sweet heart_

Wes jumped forward to grab Kurt's hands again, and sang the next part directly to him.

_And love, we need it now,_

_Let's hope for some_

_Cause oh, we're bleeding out_

Kurt was amazed that a straight man had held his hands, sang about love to his face, and danced with him through it all without the fear of 'catching the gay'. Kurt laughed with victory and elation. He sang the ending chorus with a smile plastered on his face and an ever-persistent laugh.

_I belong with you, you belong with me_

_You're my sweet heart_

_I belong with you, you belong with me_

_You're my sweet (ho!)_

As the last note rang out they dissolved into fits of laughter and applause. Wes bowed deeply and said loudly, "And that is why you love us, Kurt!" Still laughing, but with an air of seriousness nestled deep in his eyes, Wes' gaze bore into Kurt's. "Because you belong Kurt. You belong with us."

Kurt beamed back, not sure what he had done to deserve not one, but _two_ wonderful families.

**A/N: Alright, so the first song is 'The Man I Love' from 'Lady, Be Good!' I really like the Ella Fitzgerald version. The second song is 'Ho Hey' by The Lumineers! This song is fantastic and I absolutely adore it. Anyways, I will tell you that the next chapter has some drama between Kurt, Jude, and Calvin! Any thoughts? Please review or PM me! Love you all!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello everyone! Eleven chapters in and I still have people reviewing and following and adding me or my story to their favorites and it's still not getting old, so thanks : )! This chapter was a lot of fun to write because it just all fell into place so nicely. As promised there is some drama in this chapter so I hope you guys enjoy it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 11**

"Make sure your hands stay down by your sides as you sway." Wes informed the rest of the Warbler's the following Wednesday.

"Is he seriously telling us how to step-touch?" Kurt whispered to Nick who smirked back with a raised eyebrow and an 'I know, right?' expression.

Their practices had become meticulous in precision as Sectionals loomed closer and closer. Wes took his position on the council extremely serious, and had taken the past 5 minutes to describe the finer points of step-touching to his fellow Warblers.

"How much longer?" Nick whispered back to Kurt, eyes still scanning the front to make sure that Wes didn't detect their deviancy.

"Only about 10 more minutes." Kurt said and made a 'hallelujah' hand gesture, not unlike Artie.

Nick giggled quietly but quickly added, "Oh, don't think that time limits are a guarantee anymore. Not with Sectionals coming up at the end of October."

Kurt grimaced and turned his attention back to the completely useless lesson. His thoughts strayed once again when he caught a glimpse of Blaine. Naturally, he was in the front of the formation, as he would most likely be singing lead.

No one actually knew who would be singing what though, as auditions had yet to be held, and the Warblers hadn't even decided on a solid set list yet. It was at least _assumed _that Blaine would have a solo…or two…or all three…

Kurt was really hoping for a solo. He knew that his voice was unique and could really help add some depth to the uniformed Warblers. If the depth was appreciated in a small Ohio town was yet to be determined.

As Wes' lesson on small dance moves petered out, so did rehearsal, and to many of the Warblers' surprise, they actually got to leave on time.

Everyone began to talk and mill around, picking up bags and talking to one another when Kurt felt some one place a gentle hand on his upper arm.

He turned around with a smile that deflated slightly when he didn't find a shorter, gel slathered boy, but a tall, ice blue eyed one. He reflexively shrank back from his touch, still wary, but kept the smile on his face best he could. _I said we could be friends, _Kurt had to remind himself.

"Hey, you," Jude smirked, softly running his hand up and down Kurt's arm.

Kurt moved back a little to put some distance between them, but Jude just followed, taking a step nearer.

"Hi," Kurt forced out through a painfully forced smile, "What's up?" He was getting more and more uncomfortable by the second and really wanted to find his friends and go have some dinner right about now.

"Oh, you know," he said, scrunching his face up in distaste, "bored."

Kurt couldn't help but laugh a little. "Well at least you're honest."

"I just can't help but feel a little insulted that Wes spent that long explaining such rudimentary things to us. Like it takes 20 minutes to learn a box step that we've all done about 100 times before."

Kurt smiled back. These were the rare moments that he could actually imagine being friends with Jude; when he seemed like a human. When he acted like a normal guy, instead of a predatory creep. But not all good things can last.

"So," he drew the word out and slid closer to Kurt, trying to tangle their fingers together softly, "how about we get out of here? Get some dinner?"

"Uh," Kurt stalled, his eyes quickly scanning around the room over Jude's shoulder. Most of the Warblers were still hanging out in the room, talking and laughing to one another, making it hard to pick out his friends in the sea of Dalton uniforms. "Well, I'm supposed to be having dinner with some of my friends. I should probably go find them actually."

He moved to the side to step around Jude but his arm was seized in Jude's grasp in a split second.

"Come on, skip it just this once," he said, starting to sound a little irritated, "come have dinner with me." It sounded more like a threat than an invitation.

"Maybe some other time." Kurt said, surprised with how firm his voice sounded. He tugged back but to no avail. Jude's grip was like a vice and was tightening by the second; his nails beginning to leave indentations even through Kurt's blazer.

"You and I both know that that's a lie. How are we supposed to be friends if we never hang out?" He spoke through clenched teeth, clearly irritated. He was leaning dangerously close to Kurt's face as he spoke, emphasizing every word. His grip flexed even tighter, and Kurt was certain that he had drawn blood.

Kurt saw his eyes flick down to Kurt's lips, fast as lightning. _No, _Kurt panicked, _No, not again. Not like this. _Kurt scanned the mass of boys, trying to catch someone's eye, in hopes of making an escape, but in the chaos of the room, none of the Warblers noticed a pair of their own in a corner of the room that just appeared to be standing close and talking.

"Hey!" Someone said from beside Kurt suddenly. They slapped the hand off of Kurt's arm and pulled Kurt to the side swiftly.

Kurt's eyes trailed down slightly to his side, where he found Blaine with his arm wrapped solidly around Kurt's waist.

"Keep your hands off of him." Blaine said menacingly. He let go of Kurt's waist to step closer to Jude.

Jude just smirked and shook his head, clearly amused. "That isn't really your call, now is it?"

Blaine's hands were balled into tight fists and his teeth were clenched in anger. It was obvious that he was struggling to not reach out and punch Jude straight in the face.

Before Blaine did something stupid, Kurt placed a hand on the small of Blaine's back and stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. He gave Blaine a serious look, conveying that he needed to calm down. Blaine visibly relaxed under Kurt's touch, and Kurt turned his gaze to Jude.

"Just walk away, Jude," Kurt said, trying to keep his voice calm. He saw Jude's resolution to stay exactly where he was and tacked on, "we'll talk later." He said the last part in a whisper. Blaine still heard however, and he felt him tense up under his hand again.

"Okay," Jude said smoothly, stepping into Kurt's personal space again, "later." He echoed, and stroked Kurt's face softly and quick as lightning.

Blaine lunged forward to shove Jude back forcefully and probably would have kept going if Kurt hadn't stepped in front of him and placed his hand on his shoulders.

`Jude just smirked as he backed away, "Keep a leash on that one, Hummel." He finally turned and exited the room.

With Jude finally out of sight, Blaine's shoulders sagged. He hung his head in relief and exhaustion. He wasn't used to feeling this protective over someone, but it was tiring. His tense muscles finally relaxed as he felt Kurt's hands start to rub soothingly up and down his arms.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked quietly, ducking his head to catch Blaine's dodgy gaze.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Blaine said, smirking a little bit, "I shoved _him_, remember?"

"True," Kurt said, "Thanks for that." He added after a quick pause.

Blaine nodded silently and reached up to lightly stroke the crumpled material of Kurt's blazer where Jude's hand had gripped him.

"What about you?" Blaine asked quietly, still ashamed that he hadn't noticed sooner.

Kurt just shrugged and looked away, but Blaine wasn't having that. He tilted Kurt's chin up with his index finger and locked eyes with the slightly taller boy.

"My arm hurts," Kurt whispered, "but I guess I'm okay." He almost shrugged again, but thought better, knowing that Blaine wasn't a fan of him either literally or figuratively 'shrugging off his problems'.

"What was he bothering you about anyways?" Blaine asked, still murmuring, so that the other Warblers wouldn't hear. Not that it was likely; they were loud as can be when given free time to socialize.

"He wanted me to go to dinner with him." Kurt informed him, screwing up his face in a look of disgust. "Like I'd be able to stomach food around him." Kurt scoffed.

Blaine smiled, glad that Kurt's snarky bite was back into his voice. His eyes caught a flash of orange over Kurt's shoulder, entering the Warbler's room. It was that boy that fell asleep on Kurt. Kevin, or Collin or something like that.

Nodding his head in the direction of the door, Blaine asked, "don't you know that kid?"

Kurt glanced over his shoulder to see Calvin bobbing through the throng of Warblers, trying to make it to him.

_Oh no, _Kurt thought, _no, no, no, not yet! _Kurt had a pretty good idea as to why Calvin was there and Kurt had absolutely no idea what he wanted to do about it yet. He had thought that he'd have more time, but apparently large packs of private school boys didn't scare him off. _Shocker._

He had to think fast. Frantically, without thinking, Kurt flipped away from in front of Blaine, to stand next to him, quickly grabbing his hand and slotting their fingers together. Kurt had no idea where he was going to go with this; his only thought was _I hope this works._

"I'll explain later," he whispered to Blaine, who was staring with wide eyes at their joined hands; chills shooting throughout his entire frame. "Just go with it." Kurt urged as Calvin finally started clumsily making his way over to the two Warblers.

"Hey Kurt!" He chirped rather cheerfully as he finally stumbled to a stop in front of the duo.

"Hey, how's it going?" Kurt asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you for a minute," his eyes trailed over to Blaine and added, "Privately, please."

"Um, okay," Kurt said, voice laced with uncertainty. He turned to Blaine and swung their linked hands back and forth some to draw attention to them. Blaine saw the uncertainty lingering in Kurt's eyes before they flashed with resolve and confidence.

Kurt mustered up all of his courage and gazed directly into Blaine's eyes adoringly. "So we're still on for dinner tonight, right babe?"

Blaine's eyes became wide with the pet name but spluttered out an, "absolutely" as he remembered Kurt's command to 'just go with it'. He knew that his voice was a little breathless, but he figured it was better than nothing.

Calvin, however, began to stutter himself, eyes wide with shock. "Oh, n-no, I don't want to mess up your, uh, your dinner…plans, or whatever. I'll just, I-I'll just go."

"Wait, what did you want to talk to me about?" Kurt asked, worry deep in his eyes. He looked a little sad to be honest.

"Are you guys dating?" Calvin blurted out, a blush already staining his cheeks.

Before Blaine could stumble through his usual rebuttal of how they were just friends, Kurt gripped his hand tighter and rested his other hand on top; effectively cradling one of Blaine's hand in both of his.

Kurt gazed almost flirtatiously at Blaine and said, "It's hasn't even been a full two weeks, but yeah, we are." His eyes never left Blaine's.

"Oh, well, I just…I'll see you later Kurt." Calvin rushed out before turning around abruptly and nearly running out of the room.

Kurt let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "That was close." He muttered, rubbing his forehead with the heel of his hand.

"What was close?" Blaine asked, still in shock over Kurt saying they were dating. _We're not dating, are we? Does he think we are?_ _How did I miss that? _

As Kurt took a deep breath he noticed that that was the only sound in the room. He surveyed the room to find it still packed with Warblers, yet every eye was now on him and Blaine; specifically their hands that were still tangled together.

Kurt abruptly let go of Blaine's hand, much to the shorter boy's disappointment, as the room erupted in a cacophony of noise.

"Dating? Since when!" Wes crowed.

"No. Way. Finally!" Nick squealed in a very unmanly way, causing Jeff to laugh, and then join in himself.

"You started dating and didn't tell me!" David said, looking completely shocked and appalled at the thought.

Blaine just stared at Kurt questioningly, wanting to know the answers himself.

"HEY!" Kurt called, trying to bring order to the mass of screeching boys. When that didn't work, he stalked over to the councils table where he picked up the gavel and pounded it into the table hard a few times. More out of reflex than anything, the Warbler's stopped any kind of noise instantly; when the gavel sounded, you stopped.

"Okay, now listen if you know what's good for you or I swear I will be forced to personally humiliate each and every one of you in highly unique and personal ways!" Kurt scolded, sweeping his stern gaze across the entirety of the room. "Okay, good," he said approvingly when he realized that no one was going to move, let alone speak until he gave the signal.

"In a nutshell, that red-headed kid, Calvin, was going to ask me out, and I just sort of panicked and said I was dating Blaine." He stressed the next part, knowing that it still probably wouldn't sink into many of their thick skulls, "Blaine and I are not dating. Just pretending." He shot Blaine another look that said he would explain in full later.

The room was still scary silent. Kurt cleared his throat, "You can go now." He suggested.

The room quickly emptied of Warblers, still as confused as ever, leaving only Blaine and Kurt.

Blaine approached Kurt from across the room to stand in front of him. "You want to go back to my room? Talk about this?" Kurt nodded silently before following Blaine out of the room.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt sat on Blaine's bed with his blazer and button down shirt thrown off, tie loosened, and undershirt sleeve rolled up to reveal small crescent shaped cuts and a nasty bruise coloring the upper part of his arm. Blaine sat facing him, mirroring Kurt's cross-legged position, trying his best to be gentle as he cleaned up the abrasion and put Band-Aids over them.

"How did you know he was coming to ask you out?" Blaine asked, breaking the silence that had sat between them since entering the room a few minutes ago.

"His roommate sort of let it slip." Kurt said before launching into the tale, "It was about 2 days ago…"

*~Flashback~*

_ Kurt stood in front of Calvin's dorm room, trying to balance the library books he had brought, into one arm so he could knock. _

_ "Why are you so excited?" Billy, Calvin's roommate, asked earnestly from inside the dorm room._

_ "Cause Kurt's coming." Calvin answered bashfully._

_ "Awww," Billy cooed, "so you like him right?"_

_ Kurt froze, pressing closer to the door to hear Calvin's reply._

_ "Yes." He said quietly, and Kurt could almost imagine the blush that would be inevitably spreading across his cheeks._

_ "So why don't you ask him out?" Billy asked. Billy saw the world in black and white. He was a rather simple individual, but nice as they come._

_ There was a long pause as Calvin shuffled something around the room, before finally answering with a very quiet, "do you think I should?"_

_ "Absolutely!" Billy enthused. _

_ His confidence must have been rubbing off on Calvin because he said with a little resolve in his voice, "maybe I will." Then adding on, "the sooner the better."_

_ "Like the next time you see him?" Billy asked, hope in his voice; he just wanted his friend to be happy, Calvin deserved that._

_ "Yeah, the next time I see him!" Calvin said with courage in his voice._

_ Kurt backed away from the door and quickly turned down the hall._

No, no, no, this can't happen, _Kurt thought. He liked Calvin, sure, he was sweet and funny and a little shy but super smart and over all a good guy. He couldn't hurt such a decent person like that. Here he had been working on building up Calvin's confidence only to have to be faced with the task of destroying it. He couldn't deal with that. He just couldn't_

_ Kurt made it back to his dorm before dropping his load of books on his desk and whipping out his cell phone. He sent Calvin a text apologizing for not being able to make their study session that night. He said that he had an emergency Warbler rehearsal to attend._

_ Kurt didn't feel good lying to Calvin, but he wasn't ready to face him yet. He needed some way to cushion the blow. Calvin was his friend, but that was it; nothing more. _

_ Kurt needed a plan and fast…_

*~End Flashback~*

"But I never came up with a plan in time," Kurt finished, "and I never dreamed that he would seek me out when I was surrounded by other people, but," he sighed and shrugged his shoulders like 'whattcha gonna do?'

"So you assumed that pretending to date me would be the best way to bring the kid down gently?" Blaine smiled teasingly to let Kurt know that he wasn't mad. Flattered would be a better adjective to describe what he was feeling.

Kurt just smiled back and watched as Blaine's hands continued to clean the cuts on his arm.

"You don't have to do this for me you know," Kurt said very quietly, "pretend to be my fake boyfriend," he clarified, before tacking on, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this." His eyes were still glued to Blaine's hands.

Blaine kept his eyes trained to his work as he responded. "its fine Kurt, I don't mind, really."

They lapsed into silence for a minute or so until Blaine's curiosity finally got the best of him.

"So what exactly does fake dating imply? If I'm going to be your pretend boyfriend, then I need to know what's expected of me."

Kurt looked into his favorite hazel eyes with a grin on his face. "Well, I guess we just need to act around Calvin until I find a way to tell him the truth or show him that I'm not interested. There's no use pretending that we're dating in front of anyone else."

Blaine nodded, a contemplative look on his features. "Okay, so just around Calvin, got it. What sort of stuff do we, uh, you know…_do?" _

Kurt took a few seconds to think through his answer before replying with, "I don't know, I guess just hand holding and flirty smiles and winks and stuff." He found Blaine's eyes again before adding, "Just do what feels natural."

Their eyes held and Blaine almost exploded. _Do what feels natural? _He wanted to scream, _Natural? _Because to Blaine natural would be holding Kurt's hand and telling him he loved him and never letting go. Natural was taking walks in the park and little dinner dates. Natural was holding Kurt as he fell asleep and waking up to him every morning. Natural was what felt right, and being with Kurt was more right than anything else in his life. It was how it should be, of that he was sure.

Blaine didn't answer because he wasn't sure how he was supposed to. He just continued his work and lightly pressed the last bandage into place.

He looked up to find the world's most beautiful blue eyes gazing back at him with a look of wonder. He gazed back, loving the way that their eyes met and held without restriction.

Without a word, Kurt leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Blaine's cheek. He drew it out and made it last, lingering when it was over, just trying to be close.

Blaine's breath caught in his throat, and all thoughts stopped as he felt Kurt's soft lips press against his skin. He had the most pleasant sensation of being on fire.

Kurt finally pulled back, but only just a little. There couldn't have been more than a few inches between their faces.

"You're incredible." Kurt breathed, trying to convey exactly what he meant through that one simple phrase. "Thank you for taking care of me and agreeing to essentially lie for me and always being there and, and, just being you." He stopped suddenly, feeling like if he didn't stop soon he would start crying.

Blaine leaned his forehead against Kurt's, fighting tears of his own, "Only for you." He said, trying to smile and ease the tension that was building in the room, but the seriousness of that statement rang out, and it didn't go unnoticed.

Tears silently began to slip down their cheeks as they both lost their hold on them. They cried because, for the first time in their lives they would be allowed to hold the man they loved. They would be allowed to touch and get a taste of what _could_ be, but it would all be pretend. Not a drop of it was real and each wanted it to be so badly that it ached, deep in their hearts. And neither realized the similar desire of the boy they held, as they softly wiped each other's tears away.

They cried because they knew, but couldn't believe it.

*~Line Break~*

_Kurt was dating him? _Jude seethed, alone in his and Jeff's dorm room. He had heard the murmurs from the other Warblers as they began to file out of the rehearsal room about 10 minutes after he had left.

He hadn't been there to witness the spectacle of some freshman named Kevin or Devon or something asking Kurt out and getting shot down because he revealed that he was dating Blaine.

He had gathered enough from the whispers in the hallways though, and he was pissed.

_How could he choose that dwarf over me! _He growled and threw the nearest thing, his English book, against the wall. _I'm the one Kurt should be with, not him!_

Jude tried to calm himself by taking deep breaths. He needed a plan of attack. The relationship was new, they hadn't been dating for more than a couple weeks tops, and new relationships were the easiest to break up.

_I need to do something bold, _Jude concluded before settling down on his bed to think through his options.

_ Kurt will be mine._

**A/N: As if you guys didn't hate Jude enough… On the Brightside, the next chapter should have some cute fluff with our favorite pretend boyfriends. And who knows, maybe they won't be able to conceal their true feelings so well… As always, I hope you'll review or send me a PM!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey you guys! Long time no see, right? Lol, kidding, but it does sort of feel like it. Thanks to everyone who's following or favoriting or reviewing or all three! It's awesome, and I really appreciate you taking the time! Okay, so this chapter is a little shorter than the last few but I just couldn't find my rhythm with this chapter, and I don't know why. So I decided to make it shorter, that way I can find my mojo again and re-attack chapter 13 with a ton of fire! No sense in dragging out a chapter that just doesn't work. Regardless, I hope that you enjoy this one! Also I have tomorrow off from work, so I have a lot more time to write! Yay! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 12**

"So anytime Kevin is around?" Wes clarified the next morning at breakfast.

"Calvin," Kurt corrected, "and yes. So if Blaine and I start holding hands out of nowhere-"

"It's probably a Thursday?" Jeff supplied, grinning back at them only to be met with glares from Blaine and Kurt. "What? It's true! You guys are all lovey dovey without even realizing it!" Jeff defended himself, looking around the table for support.

"He's right." Nick chimed in, head resting on his boyfriend's shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, Kurt stressed, "_anyways, _try not to act surprised or anything. Act natural..." He trailed off as he noticed David trying to reenact his last kill on Call of Duty, complete with sound effects and saw Wes' rebuttal of stabbing his fork into a piece of toast on David's plate and yelling, "Die!"

"Actually, don't act natural." Kurt decided, "Your natural's pretty weird; act like normal teenage boys."

"Aye Aye Captain," Nick said with a silly solute. His eyes brushed over Kurt and Blaine's shoulder and widened slightly, "Land hoe!" he parroted.

With a quirked brow, Kurt turned around in time to see a flash of coppery hair enter the cafeteria.

He turned back around, surprisingly calm and rested his head on Blaine's shoulder like Nick was to Jeff. Without a second thought, Blaine's arm wrapped around Kurt's waist delicately and tugged him closer to his side. The rest of the table looked around at one another with amused glances but otherwise kept quiet.

Kurt sighed lightly; intensely happy with where he was. He tried to resist, he honestly did, but he couldn't help snuggling closer to Blaine. _It's October, it's getting colder, _Kurt tried to justify.

"Welp!" Wes said, popping the 'p' on the end, "We all need to go do stuff, right everyone?" He wasn't even trying for subtly as he winked suggestively at Kurt and Blaine.

There was a chorus of 'yes's' and 'oh most certainly's' as the rest of their friends stood up and grabbed the remainders of their trash.

"That's going to happen a lot isn't it?" Kurt asked, chuckling lightly.

"Yeah, probably." Blaine answered, giving Kurt an affectionate squeeze.

"Why are you friends with them?" Kurt asked, feigning exasperation.

"Hey, you're friends with them too!" Blaine pointed out.

Kurt shook his head a little, as if Blaine was failing to understand something very basic. "But I met them through you, so I can still claim a second-hand friendship with them. What's your excuse?" he smiled sweetly up at Blaine with his chin still resting on the edge of his shoulder, facing him.

"Yeah, I need new friends." Blaine deadpanned.

"Don't fret my dearest Blaine," Kurt said in an overly dramatic voice, "you still have me!" he fluttered his eye lashes.

_It's too early for this level of adorable, _Blaine thought, _especially from this close up._

"Thank God for small miracles." Blaine said with a smile.

*~Line Break~*

"You don't have to walk me to my classes." Kurt admonished, trying dreadfully hard to keep his glee hidden away.

"But what if Calvin is in the hallway? We can't be too careful." Blaine explained.

Okay, so he knew that he was pushing it, but if Kurt was willing to walk hand in hand with him down the school hallways, then he wasn't going to be the fool to turn that opportunity away. _Hell, if Kurt wanted to walk hand in hand through a slaughter house, I wouldn't turn that down, _Blaine thought.

As they reached Kurt's first period, AP French, they turned to face each other, still linked at the hands.

"So, I'll be waiting for you after class." Blaine grinned, loving the blush that spread across Kurt's cheeks

"Blaine, you really don't-" Kurt began but was interrupted by a finger being placed on his lips.

"I'll be here." Blaine stated, and then turned to make it to his class across campus.

_That boy is going to be the death of me, _Kurt simultaneously complained and rejoiced internally.

As he entered the room for a fun filled hour of conjugation and pronunciation, his eyes immediately fell on a tall, dark haired boy glaring at him with cold blue eyes.

Kurt walked over to his seat next to Jude and sat down quietly, trying to make himself invisible.

"Blaine? Really?" Jude spat out after a tense minute.

Kurt turned to look at him with a questioning look. "What about Blaine?"

"You guys are dating? Since when?" Jude kept his gaze straight ahead, watching Madame Poole as she began to write on the board.

"No, " Kurt attempted to clarify; he had forgotten that Jude had left the room before hearing Kurt's explanation to the rest of the Warblers, "we aren't really dating-"

"Whatever." Jude said tersely. "Whatever you want to call it: hooking up, talking, going steady, I really don't give a damn, but don't forget that you don't have to settle."

"What do you mean settle?" Kurt whispered back, distracted by Jude's comment.

"You don't have to be with Blaine," he hinted with a little less ice in his voice. He chanced a glance at Kurt and added, "you can be with me."

Kurt gaped at him before turning back to the front of the class with a huff. He spent the rest of the class staring straight ahead, purposefully avoiding his neighbor.

_How can he have the audacity to think I would want to be with him? _Kurt puzzled.

When the bell finally rang, Kurt stalked out of the room absolutely fuming, until he spotted Blaine, leaning casually against the wall opposite the AP French door. His tension melted away at the sight of the gel slathered Warbler.

"Hey, you," Blaine greeted, shoving off of the wall to meet Kurt.

"Hi," Kurt answered suddenly shy.

Neither of them made a move to do anything, so Kurt hurtled over his nerves and grabbed Blaine's hand firmly. Their fingers interlaced almost instantly; like they had been doing it for years.

"Class?" Blaine asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, that," Kurt breathed, still a little loopy.

*~Line Break~*

By lunch, Kurt and Blaine had gotten past some of their jitters and were starting to fall into a pattern. After every class, Blaine would be waiting in the hallway for Kurt, hand extended for him to take. They would walk, swinging their linked arms freely and openly until they reached Kurt's next class, where Blaine would give Kurt's hand a squeeze before releasing for the next hour.

Once again, upon entering the cafeteria, the rest of their friends had vacated the table, claiming incredibly important, yet vague, business, leaving Kurt and Blaine to their own devices.

"Calvin's sitting at the table behind us." Kurt whispered into Blaine's ear, pulling a shiver through the shorter boy.

"Oh, is he?" Blaine smiled and nuzzled his nose into Kurt's neck.

Blaine had spent his morning classes deciding how he wanted to approach this fake relationship. At first, he had been nervous, because he was being given permission to feel the things he had been repressing since day one. Then he realized: HE WAS BEING GIVEN PERMISSION TO FEEL THE THINGS HE HAD BEEN REPRESSING SINCE DAY ONE! And he mentally added some fist pumps and heel clicks for good measure. He decided then and there to enjoy this. And more importantly, maybe he could convince Kurt that they were meant to be.

Kurt froze as Blaine laughed lightly into his neck. Sensory overload was a little bit of an understatement as to what he was feeling. It felt more like all his nerves were on fire and he had the coldest wind blowing directly in his face, making him want to gasp for air, but he couldn't. It was fantastic.

Kurt relaxed into Blaine's touch and moved his arm around Blaine's shoulders.

"Yeah," Kurt answered, "and he'll probably be there for the rest of lunch ."

"Probably…"Blaine trailed off, smiling like mad, as he wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist and pulling him into his side. He started rubbing small circles into Kurt's side and added in an almost inaudible whisper, "I hope."

_Did he really just say that? _Kurt wondered, but it was hard to really devote too much attention to deciphering Blaine's comment when his heart was about to explode out of his chest.

Kurt pulled his head away from Blaine's cuddling in search of his large hazel eyes. He gazed deeply at him, looking for any hint of hesitance and found none.

Blaine felt his breath hitch as Kurt began to lean in slowly, eyes holding his every inch of the way.

They were so close. Their noses brushed and their breath mingled, warm and excited.

CRASH!

They pulled apart and whipped around at the noise. Calvin stood with his tray on the ground and his eyes wide as he stared straight at them. A blush was coloring his cheeks and his eyes looked absolutely heartbroken. As soon as he noticed their returned gaze he ducked his head and quickly picked up his mess before bolting out of the cafeteria.

Kurt's stomach churned uncomfortably. Being close to Blaine was incredible, and he cherished it probably more than he should, but Calvin didn't deserve to witness it. Calvin was a good person and it wasn't his fault that he couldn't deal with rejecting someone.

"Blaine," Kurt said, sounding far away as he stared at the door that Calvin had disappeared through, "I need to go. This isn't right."

And without even looking back at Blaine, Kurt ran out after Calvin.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt had scanned the entire courtyard, but his little red-headed friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey," another voice sounded from beside him suddenly.

Kurt whirled around at Jude's voice and glared at him. "I don't really feel like talking, Jude."

"Hey, you were the one that said we would talk later." Jude shrugged. "It's later."

"Well 'later' is sort of up for interpretation, so if you don't mind, I have somewhere I need to be." Kurt pivoted around, and began walking away from Jude, who didn't take the hint.

"Kurt!" he called after him, but he kept walking.

"Kurt! Will you just listen to me? You don't even have to talk!" Jude said, eyes shining with an emotion Kurt had never seen in him before: vulnerability.

Kurt huffed, making a show of stopping and facing him. "Fine."

Jude smiled appreciatively, "Let me take you out." He rushed out, red in the face.

Rolling his eyes, Kurt turned to walk away again, but was stopped by Jude's hand gripping his wrist. Kurt turned around eyes wide with disbelief, looking pointedly down at Jude's hand. He let go instantly, fanning his hands out in a surrender sort of gesture.

"Just listen to me Kurt!" Jude pleaded, "Let me take you on a real date. One where I bring you flowers and take you out to a little restaurant with candles on the tables and soft music in the background. Please, just give me a chance!" His eyes were large and pleading but Kurt didn't seem fazed.

"Jude, no." Kurt said calmly, yet with firmness in his voice.

Jude appeared to deflate on the spot; hurt clouding over his eyes. Kurt almost felt bad. Here was Jude, big, tall, confident Jude reduced to a normal human man, and it was disarming. It was almost sad.

"But-" Jude started but seemed to think better of it, "you know what? Never mind." Anger seeped back into his eyes as he glared back at Kurt, "You'll see what you're missing. You'll regret not choosing me." He turned around sharply and stalked away from Kurt, leaving him more than a little confused.

*~Line Break~*

"I never want to move again…ever." Kurt groaned from deep under his covers as Blaine entered the dorm at the end of the day, shutting the door softly behind him.

Chuckling softly, he went over to sit on the side of Kurt's bed. "And why is this?" He gently brushed some rebel strands of hair off of Kurt's forehead.

Kurt almost purred with contentment, before letting out a monster sigh of exasperation. "I'm just so freaking confused!" He cried, burying his head into his pillow.

"Kurt, come on," Blaine smiled a little at the taller boy's dramatics, "talk to me."

Kurt rolled over onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. "Calvin's heartbroken and Jude's pissed because he thinks we're dating for real. I know that I can be a huge bitch sometimes, but surprisingly enough, I'm not used to people not liking me. Besides bullies. It sucks!"

"Welcome back to the real world." Blaine offered as way of explanation.

"Yeah, Dalton sort of makes me forget that things aren't perfect all the time."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing…"Blaine questioned.

Kurt laughed and, in an unexpected gesture to both Blaine and himself, he yanked Blaine down to lie next to him, and quickly snuggled into his side before his courage left him.

"I'm glad you're here." Kurt breathed into Blaine's shoulder.

"Hm?" Blaine asked, unsure that he could manage much more in his completely surprised, yet blissed out state.

"You make my head stop spinning. At least for a little bit. " Kurt admitted, blushing slightly, "Stay?" he added, very quietly.

_Like I would pass this up, _Blaine laughed inside. He just tugged Kurt closer.

**A/N: Sorry if this seemed to end sort of abruptly, I just needed to end this chapter and get a fresh start on a new one. I promise that the next one should be much better, although I haven't written it yet so I can't really say that for certain :P I still hope you review or PM me though!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys! So, 60 followers, 23 favorites, and 28 reviews so far! Do you know how that makes me feel? Do you remember that scene from Rent when they sing 'La Vie Boheme' and they're jumping on tables and dancing around and having a grand old time? Yeah, that's me right about now! Alright, I think it is safe to say that this is one of my favorite chapters so far. It just felt so good to write! I really hope that you guys like it! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, but I'm working on it…**

**Chapter 13**

The room stood still at 2:34 that morning. It was so quiet and peaceful. _It's astounding really, _Blaine thought as his gaze returned to the boy still curled up against his chest.

Blaine realized that this fake relationship was going to be hard and he knew going into it that it was risky- letting himself really feel around Kurt- but he was beginning to realize that that was just the tip of the iceberg. Yes, he could touch and hold and say flirty things to Kurt in public now, as long as there was a remote possibility that Calvin was on the premise. But that just meant that it was getting harder and harder to contain himself when they were alone together. Exhibit A: He was holding Kurt as he slept.

And this was the real problem with pretending to be Kurt's boyfriend: He got to act the part, not _be _the part. He wanted Kurt to return the affection because he wanted to, not because he was afraid a certain ginger was going to peep around a corner at any given moment.

And then there was the confusing almost kiss in the cafeteria the day before. He had been positive that Kurt was going to kiss him. He also felt that kissing was a little beyond their fake relationship boundaries, but they hadn't necessarily discussed those. Kurt had just said to 'go with what feels natural', which gave him hope that a real part of Kurt wanted to kiss him. But this was all pure conjecture at this point and if Blaine didn't do something fast, he was going to go insane.

He couldn't help loving Kurt, like he couldn't help breathing or eating or watching Grey's Anatomy reruns. It wasn't something he had decided, it was something that had just _happened. _There's a reason it's called _falling _in love instead of 'look before you leap into love' or 'stepping into love'. So if this was the way it was going to be than, so be it, que sera sera, but he needed to know how far Kurt intended on taking this pseudo-relationship, because until it was real, Blaine had to be careful. It was self-preservation.

An hour passed slowly as Blaine drifted in and out of consciousness. He felt a soft rustling beside him as Kurt tried to snuggle himself in closer to the warmth of Blaine's chest.

"Time?" Kurt asked sleepily.

"About 3:30 in the morning." Blaine answered just as softly.

Kurt stretched slowly and let out a mighty yawn, "How long have you been awake?"

"About an hour maybe," something about the darkness in the room made Blaine continue to whisper, "off and on."

There was a long silence in which Blaine was certain that Kurt had fallen back asleep, and began to rub soothing circles onto his back.

"What am I going to do?" Kurt mumbled; fatigue still heavy in his voice, but a steadiness that showed he was mostly awake.

Blaine's hand stilled instantly. "What do you mean?"

Kurt pulled back just a little to look into Blaine's eyes. "What am I going to do about Calvin? I have to tell him the truth soon but I have no idea how! And then there's Jude-"

"Whoa, what about him?" Blaine interrupted; the hairs on the back of his neck already standing up straight as pins.

"The AP French classes combined yesterday so that they would have an even number for dialogue partners, so he was in my first period. You remember how he stormed out of the Warblers' rehearsal room the day I lied to Calvin?"

"Sure, I shoved _him, _remember?" Blaine repeated his words from that very day, smirking playfully into the darkness that housed Kurt's face.

"Well, he left before my explanation to the Warblers, and he thinks that we really are dating. He's pissed, Blaine."

"Well, he's not used to not getting what he wants." Blaine stated simply, trying to keep the victorious energy out of his voice. Even though Kurt wasn't really his, it was still more than what Jude had. Even Kurt just being his best friend was further than Jude would ever make it, and that thought put a smile on Blaine's face. Blaine had never thought of himself as territorial or competitive, but Kurt was teaching him new things about himself every day.

Kurt nodded absently, obviously still trapped in his own mind.

Another sizable pause passed before Kurt spoke. "I need to deal with Calvin first. He's my friend. He deserves at least that much." Kurt said it with such absolution that his voice shook under the weight of its duty.

Kurt continued, outlining a vague plan. "I need to get him alone and tell him that I heard his conversation with Billy through the door and I got scared and panicked and lied about you and me," he pointed between himself and Blaine to clarify, "and then I just need to hope that he forgives me."

"Jude can wait. And it's pretty likely that he'll end up hearing the truth from one of the Warbler's before I even need to explain it to him."

Blaine nodded in agreement and silence settled between them again. The sun was still far beneath the horizon and the birds had yet to awaken. The silence was like a blanket of warmth, keeping them wrapped in nothing but each other and the sound of their breaths mingling between them.

"What about us?" Blaine finally asked the question that was clawing at his mind like a caged animal.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked, confusion weighing heavily on his voice.

"I mean…"Blaine trailed off as he tried to collect the words to express himself. "I mean, what do we do in the meantime? How do you want to act tomorrow? I know you don't want to rub it in Calvin's face, but does that mean we're going to just drop the charade all together? And what about after you break it to Calvin? What do we do then? Just go back to normal, like none of this even happened?" Blaine knew that his words were coming out in a jumble but he couldn't shut the valve off. He had waited too long, and once he had started, it felt too good to stop. "And if we do keep pretending to fool Calvin, then what are our limits? Are we just hand holding and smiling like idiots at one another, or are we kissing? How far is too far?" Blaine screeched to a halt there and let himself breath.

Kurt remained silent for a few seconds, absorbing everything, before slowly following Blaine's trail of questions. "Okay, so first off, I haven't decided when or how I'm going to get Calvin to speak to me. I was thinking I could take the weekend to think about it, since today is Friday, we aren't that far away. So that means that for tomorrow, we are still "dating"…" Kurt paused uncomfortably, but forced out his next words anyways. "…if you're still up to it…"

Blaine blinked a few times, honestly trying to weigh the pros and cons. Every fiber of his being wanted to scream, "YES, ABSOLUTELY!" but he knew that playing this game was dangerous _because _it was a game, and not the real thing. However, beyond the temptation, there was still the chance that he could convince Kurt that they were meant to be through his actions. He could show Kurt a different side of him- a different side of _them- _that would push him in the right direction.

"Of course I am." Blaine replied gently, sliding down and resting his head on Kurt's chest. "but what are the limits?" he asked again.

"To our…relationship?" Kurt questioned, obviously insecure about setting those up.

Blaine just nodded silently, leaving Kurt room to talk when he was ready.

"I guess just…like we've been doing." Kurt shrugged, unsure of what he was supposed to say. He _wanted _to say that if Blaine wanted to throw him down on a bed and ravish him head to toe, that would be completely acceptable, but he wasn't sure that would fly.

"So hand holding, and cuddling?" Blaine attempted to help out.

"Yeah, and flirty comments and gazing into each other's eyes," Kurt continued, giggling a little.

"And batting eyelashes and hugging,"

"And tickling and playful shoving,"

"And hair ruffling-"

"Hey, whoa," Kurt interrupted, feigning a stern attitude, "you've crossed the line Anderson."

"That's a shame," Blaine teased, "we hadn't even added kissing to the list yet."

In a bold move, Kurt leaned forward swiftly and gave Blaine a peck on the corner of his mouth.

"I think that sufficiently adds it to the list." Kurt said, trying to keep the shock out of his voice. He mentally high-fived himself as Blaine stumbled through an answer of, "Um, uh, y-yeah, I guess that would, uh…work…" Kurt could _feel _the blush radiating off of Blaine's handsome face.

_ Enjoy this while you can, _Blaine thought to himself, _because if he figures out how to apologize to Calvin over the weekend, he might not be so willing to kiss you anymore. _

All those thoughts were chased out of his mind when Kurt wrapped his long arms around Blaine's shoulders and held him to his chest, nuzzling into his curly hair. "Let's get some more sleep." He murmured before drifting off once again.

That's when Blaine realized the most obvious, yet important thing about their entire exchange.

"Wait? I thought we only had to pretend in public?" Blaine whispered, "We're alone." A huge grin spread across him face as he still felt the burn of Kurt's lips so achingly close to his.

*~Line Break~*

Friday, for all intents and purposes, should have been just like Thursday. It should have been awkward glances and touches and nerves, but it wasn't. Maybe it was because of their talk or perhaps the kiss, but the awkwardness had dissolved into an understanding.

"Morning," Blaine called as he sat down the next morning to breakfast with a table full of friends.

"Well, I guess we should go-"Wes began before Kurt cut him off.

"Do what? Raise sheep?" He quirked an eyebrow before placing a hand on Wes' shoulder, "Stay." He commanded firmly.

Wes looked back at Kurt, seemingly weighing the consequences of disobeying before deciding that staying put was his best bet at keep all of his limbs.

They quickly fell back into their routine chatter and discussions on Call of Duty. However, not all was routine. Blaine and Kurt sat just a hair closer than they used to. They kept bumping shoulders and smiling at one another. When Blaine got a little of his biscuits and gravy on his chin, Kurt wiped it away almost lovingly.

Nick watched their motions with tears in his eyes. It was so achingly familiar.

"Excuse me," Nick murmured, scrambling to stand with tears in his eyes, and made a hasty escape.

Everyone at the table stilled and looked towards the door where Nick had disappeared through. As if operating off of a collective mind, all of their gazes slid over to Jeff, who was staring intently at his bagel, as if trying to determine every single individual ingredient in it. Sensing a table full of gazes settled on him, he slowly looked up with wide, innocent eyes.

"What?" he questioned looked from face to face.

"What's up with Nick?" David asked. The 'did you seriously just ask me that?' clearly indicated in his tone.

Jeff sighed and slumped forward. He began idly playing with the straw in his milk before looking up. "It's you guys," he said, pointing between Kurt and Blaine.

"We made him cry?" Kurt asked, horrified. He really liked Nick. He was silly and kind and had a killer sense of fashion when not in uniform.

Feeling Kurt's distress, Blaine reached out to lay a hand on the base of his neck; massaging gently.

"No, not _you_ really," Jeff said, struggling to find the right words, "just…what you have…" he trailed off, desperately hoping they would let him leave it at that.

But that wasn't in Kurt's nature. "And what exactly do we have?" Kurt asked a little defensively.

"Listen, if you want, you can talk to Nick about this," Jeff offered, hoping to end the inquisition, "he isn't mad at you or anything. Just…overwhelmed."

Kurt stared back for a minute, trying to piece it all together in his head. After a few seconds without success, he decided it would be much easier if he talked to the blonde headed boy that had all but ran from their table.

Nodding, Kurt stood up and grabbed his coffee. Blaine placed a hand on his, silently asking if he wanted some company.

"No, I'll be fine," Kurt answered aloud, "See you later?"

"Sure." He smiled back.

Kurt leaned down to place a small kiss on the top of Blaine's head but pulled back with a small grimace.

"Ew, gel." He pursed his lips in distaste and ran a hand over his mouth to take any additional smear off.

"Your fault." Blaine pointed out with a grin.

"Well, if you didn't shower with gel everyday then I wouldn't have this problem." Kurt bit back.

"Oh my God, Shut Up! Your starry eyed comments are making me sick." David moaned, all in good humor

"Seriously guys, we're trying to eat!" Wes chimed in.

Kurt just smiled at them before turning to find Nick, as Wes and David proceed to make gagging noises behind him.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt finally found Nick sitting on a bench out in the courtyard across campus. He looked serene and the crying had stopped, although his eyes were still a little red and puffy.

"Hey," Kurt greeted cautiously.

Nick looked up, a tad startled, but smiled back warmly, "Hey," he paused as he looked down, almost a little embarrassed looking, "sorry for being so dramatic back there."

Kurt laughed lightly, sitting down next to Nick. "Oh please honey. That scene was child's play compared to the fits I throw."

Nick laughed quietly, and didn't push the conversation forward any.

"But, what was it about?" Kurt finally spoke up.

Nick looked up at Kurt with emotion filled eyes. He looked exhausted and sad but he had such overwhelming happiness in his eyes that Kurt forgot to breath for a moment.

"Did I ever tell you how Jeff and I met?" Nick asked out of the blue.

Not sure where this was headed, Kurt just let Nick take the lead and shook his head.

"The summer before our freshman year here, both of our parents had sent us to a 'straight camp' to "heal" us. We were friends right away, but nothing more. There was no opportunity to be. We were so closely monitored and didn't really have any freedom, but we did exchange phone numbers and when the camp ended the third week of July, we texted throughout the rest of the summer. Now you see I had fallen hard for Jeff from about the second I saw him. I immediately thought he was cute. I mean, I turned around and I thought 'Damn!' plain and simple." Nick smiled at his memories, his eyes fogging over with nostalgia as he recounted the tale. "About 5 minutes into our first conversation I thought, wow, he's super nice and funny. We're going to be great friends. 30 minutes into the conversation and I had a crush on him. He was cute and funny and smart and just had something about him. By the time our first conversation wrapped up an hour later, I remember thinking, 'oh, I'm in trouble' because I knew that it would be so easy to fall in love with Jeff. And I was right. By the end of camp, 2 weeks later, I was head over heels in love with him."

"So anyways, when we texted, it was always about music and movies and books. Things that made us happy. We avoided talking about parents or school, since we both had a bad track record with each. So, the third week of August rolls around and my parents are shipping me out to this new boarding school, Dalton Academy, because they don't want me living under their roof anymore until I'm 'cured' or done with my 'phase'." Nick rolled his eyes at his parents' ignorance but continued the story. "I was walking down the hallway, on my way to take a shower when a dorm room door flew open and nearly hit me. I was about to just let loose and raise some serious hell when I looked up and there was Jeff." Nick's eyes began to mist over again as he remembered seeing his beloved's face at a time when he was so sure they would never be reunited.

"Jeff and I had been really good friends from the start, but from then on out, we practically became joined at the hip. Everywhere he went, I went, and vice versa. It was actually because of him that I joined the Warblers. When he expressed an interest in it he begged me to audition with him. I didn't think I would make it, but somehow I did." Nick shook his head and laughed quietly.

Kurt sat, remaining silent, waiting for Nick to continue. Tears began to slowly trace down his cheeks as he continued with his story.

"But the fact that I was in love with him didn't go away, and that was the only problem. I wanted more from him, but I didn't think that he reciprocated. Finally, after months of wanting and waiting I asked him out. But I panicked and immediately told him to take the weekend to think about it and practically ran from the room. That weekend was hell." Nick made a face to show just how unpleasant it had really been.

"I was a wreck. I ate nearly everything in Dalton's kitchen that weekend. I had a bowl of popcorn and a few dozen handfuls of sunflower seeds,"

"That's not that bad." Kurt tried to reassure.

"Oh, I wasn't done." Nick added quickly, "I drank an entire two liter of Mountain Dew and had about half a bag of hot Cheetos,"

"It could be-"

"Not done. I had half a key lime pie and every can of fruit cocktail in the pantry,"

"That's pretty healthy con-"

"Not done. I inhaled a few boxes of cheerios and ate every pop-tart in sight. Even the unfrosted strawberry ones."

"But those are-"

"Not done. I made Sloppy Joes and ate a few Kid cuisines that were older than the school probably,"

"How did you-"

"Not done-"

"No, I think you are." Kurt raised an eyebrow in disbelief that the slender blonde in front of him could fit that much food into his body.

"When I said I nearly ate everything in Dalton's kitchen, I meant it." He provided, shrugging, before launching back into his personal love story.

"So anyways, the weekend finally ended and at exactly midnight on Monday morning, the _second _the weekend was over, there was a knock on my door. I rolled out of bed and threw the door open to find Jeff, waiting with a rose and insisting that we have our date that very minute. Claiming that he had already waiting far too long, and that if I had allowed him to answer back on Friday when I had asked him, we would have already had our first date…and our second…and possibly our third. So he snuck me off campus to a little dingy, all-night diner, that probably never passed any sort of health inspection, but it was the only place open at that hour and it was perfect because I was with him and he was staring at me like I was fireworks in the night sky. At the end of the date he kissed me and just like that, everything was right." Nick wiped at the tears on his cheeks and sniffled while giggling simultaneously.

Kurt waited for Nick to keep speaking, but the words never came. He just sat there, watching Nick smile like an idiot as he perused his memory banks of his favorite boyfriend moments.

"So how does this story tie back to today and the crying?"

"Because, you and Blaine are just like us, Kurt! It's all right there, and it's so beautiful it makes me want to cry! But the way you two are ignoring it makes me want to cry in a completely hopeless way!" Nick said, exasperation laden on every word.

"But Blaine and I are just friends," Kurt began with his customary spiel, but Nick cut him off with a snort.

"Oh cut the crap, Kurt! You love that man and you know it! Do you honestly think you're fooling anyone? Well besides Blaine, who seems pretty oblivious!"

"Really Nick, Blaine is my best friend but that's it." Kurt was trying to keep his cool, but it was disarming having his inner most feelings being exposed by someone.

"Kurt!" Nick said, shaking his head frantically, clearly annoyed with Kurt's reluctance and stubbornness. "Stop lying, okay! I can see it in your eyes! It is _exactly _how I looked at Jeff back then!" he took a couple deep breaths before pushed further. He leveled Kurt with a steady gaze and began speaking in a low, steady voice.

"Do you think about falling asleep in his arms at night?"

Kurt tried to look away, he really did, but something about Nick's gaze was magnetic. Begrudgingly, he nodded a yes.

"Do you want to be able to hold his hand without an excuse?"

Kurt nodded again.

"Do you want to see his eyes staring back at you in the morning?"

He nodded, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

"Do you want to brush his hair out of his eyes without fear of him pulling back?"

Tears spilling over, he nodded.

"Do you want to kiss him until all of the air in your lungs is filled with nothing but his scent?"

Kurt nodded, dropping his head and letting gravity pull them from his eyes, one by one.

"Then why don't you?" Nick asked gently, placing his hand on Kurt's.

"Because I want him to love me too." Kurt squeezed out in a broken whisper.

Nick draped his arm around Kurt's shoulder and pulled him near. "Oh honey, he does."

Kurt tried to find words to explain how Blaine would never fall for him, but all of his words felt too weak. He just shook his head back and forth in large, sweeping motions.

"Kurt," Nick began, trapping Kurt's face between his palms and looking into his friends eyes, "take it from a person who has been there: that boy loves you like you can't even believe."

Nick's eyes held such certainty that Kurt couldn't help but break down in to a fresh round of tears. Nick just sat and held him steady as he shook with the realization that he might actually have a shot at the happiness the world had always told him he would never have.

"I think I'm going to fix things with Calvin first." Kurt decided, as he began to slow his frantic breathing. "That way, if anything is meant to be, we can try something real. Not under a false pretense." Kurt looked back up at Nick with a seriousness nestled deep in his eyes, "I can't afford to screw this up. I love him." An amazed smile stretched across his features as he finally let the words spill into the air.

"Just remember that," Nick said, eyes sparkling with hope and admiration, "you love him. He loves you. It will find a way to work."

Kurt smiled and stood, grabbing Nick's hand and began walking to nowhere in particular. He suddenly couldn't wait for the weekend to be over.

**A/N: I never planned the whole Nick thing; it just sort of happened and felt right, so I went with it. So next chapter has Kurt going home for the weekend! Possibly some New Direction, but definitely Burt (cause I love that man!)! Please review or send me a PM or both! Love you guys!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you to all of you who continue to support me and my story, and to all of you who are just starting to! I love you all! Alright, so Kurt went home for the weekend, and he needs to figure out what to do about Calvin! How did it go? Read on and Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 14**

"Hey kiddo, long time no see!" Burt called from the front stoop as Kurt stepped out of the car Finn had used to pick him up with.

Kurt finally reached his dad and was immediately wrapped in the warmth of his arms. He missed this. He missed the smell of grease and oil and home. The scratchiness of the flannel he wore and the out of place softness that sat deep in his eyes. Everyone always assumed that his dad was a rather simple man, but nothing could have been further from the truth. If he were a simple man, he wouldn't be so acceptable of his son's sexuality. If he were a simple man, he would be all about football and cars and power tools, and although he did love these things, he loved so much more. He loved his family more than anything in the world, and, in return, Kurt loved him with all of his heart. It was simple really, but yet so deeply profound that it seemed unusual to the rest of the world.

"I missed you, dad," Kurt mumbled into the fabric of his father's shirt.

"Kurt!" Carol called, as she ran to him with outstretched arms, a dishtowel still dangling from one of her hands.

"Hi Carol," Kurt smiled back happily. Carol was everything you could have asked for in a step mom. She was understanding and sweet and tried her best to include everyone as they began the awkward transition of blending two families into one. It didn't matter that she wasn't his real mom, because she never tried to fill that hole. She just offered her love without a catch.

"After you get settled, I could really use some help with this lemon tart I'm trying to make." Carol asked sweetly, "it's a little harder than I had anticipated."

Kurt loved having someone to bake with again. "Oh, I'll just throw my bags in my room and I'll be right down."

The house was exactly how he had remembered it. His room lay untouched. It was calming, knowing that his family hadn't made too many changed without him. He rushed back down stairs, eager to be a part of his family again.

*~Line Break~*

After a delicious dinner of grilled chicken with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes, Kurt and Carol volunteered to clean up, allowing Finn and Burt to amble off to the living room and plant themselves in front of the T.V.

"So, do you enjoy boarding at Dalton?" Carol asked curiously. The topic of school hadn't come up yet due to Finn's incessant chatter about football and glee club.

"I actually do," Kurt said, noticing the note of surprise in his own voice, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I miss you and dad and Finn like crazy, but the guys at Dalton are fantastic. Weird, but fantastic."

"I'm glad," Carol smiled back peacefully, "I guess I just worry a little too much. I just felt like my life had finally fallen into place and I hope every night that whatever you're doing, you feel that same feeling too."

Kurt thought about how he had yet to patch things up with Calvin, and Jude was still convincing himself that Kurt would eventually fall into his arms. He thought about the mounds of homework currently piled with his suitcases up stairs, and Blaine. Oh, Blaine. He thought about their friendship, and now their fake relationship and the mess of feeling he was currently tangled in. He had to admit that he was far from peace.

But when he looked at the broader picture, he saw a day to day life where he wasn't shoved into lockers or called disgusting names. He saw a group of incredible guys who cared for him and accepted him just because they liked who he was, and didn't discriminate for _what _he was. He saw healed bruises and safety and a tentative, yet genuine, smile on his face for the first time in a long time.

_Is this what belonging feels like? _Kurt mused.

After a comfortable pause, Carol began stacking the final dishes into the dishwasher.

"I have some pictures, if you'd like to see them," Kurt offered, "of Dalton, I mean."

"I'd love to see them," Carol said brightly. So Kurt flew up the stairs to his room to retrieve the stack of photos he had printed out the day before.

When Kurt descended the stairs, he found Carol sitting on the arm of Burt's recliner, absentmindedly watching the game while Burt rubbed soothing circles into her back. Kurt didn't even try to fight back the smile that blossomed on his face at this sight.

"Carol says you got some pictures of that castle you go to school at?" Burt said jokingly as Kurt entered the room.

Throwing his dad a glare he nodded. Burt just laughed in response.

Kurt sat down on the floor next to his dad's feet so that both Carol and Burt could watch over his shoulder as he flicked through the stack of memories. Finn lay, sound asleep, stretched across the couch, with his big feet dangling off the edge.

Kurt offered a small explanation for every photo; who was in it, what they were doing, when it was taken, that sort of thing.

"Here's one of Wes trying to wake David up, and Blaine and me holding him back. David in the morning can be a very scary experience. I think it was Nick who took the picture. Or maybe Jeff, who knows, they go everywhere together. And this one is of a Warblers' practice. Blaine's smiling at the camera even though I was trying to make it appear like a candid shot."

And it continued like that for a few dozen more. Some led to longer stories than others, but Burt and Carol seemed happy to hear them.

When Kurt finally flipped passed the last photo he looked back up at his parents. Carol smiled sweetly back at him, but Burt had a little bit of a questioning look stuck on his features.

"So, who's that Blaine kid?" he asked gruffly, "he's in about every one of your photos."

"He is not…" Kurt started out defiantly, but quickly quieted as he mentally went through all of his photos. Him and Blaine standing in the courtyard with their coffees, him and Blaine studying with Nick and Jeff, him and Blaine practicing by the piano. _Oh, wow, _Kurt realized, _he's right._

"Wait, isn't he the kid who was standing in the rain when we dropped you off at Dalton?" Burt asked, realization drenching his voice.

"Yeah, that was Blaine." Kurt said and stopped there, not sure how much he wanted to share.

Burt nodded but didn't comment any further on Kurt's dramatic arrival to the academy. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Burt _di_d push further with one thought that was apparently gnawing at his brain: "So, are you two, like…a _thing?_"

Kurt blushed immediately before stuttering, "oh, um, no, we're just really good friends." He didn't even attempt to bring up the pseudo-relationship.

"Oh, well, okay then." Burt huffed, obviously very uncomfortable with the topic. Still, he forged ahead in the interest of his son's safety. "Well, he obviously seemed very, uh…caring, when we saw him," he was undoubtedly thinking about the embrace in the rain, "so if anything...happens, just, well…just be smart, okay?" he rushed through the last part, fighting a slight blush of his own.

"Sure dad, I will be." Kurt said quickly, hoping to end this line of conversation. To his relief, Burt nodded, pleased with his answer, and turned his attention back to the game.

Kurt gratefully stood with Carol to retrieve the lemon tart from the fridge. Kurt gathered the plates and forks while Carol began cutting the dessert.

"He's cute." Carol commented with a sly smile on her face, but keeping it turned down toward her work.

"What?" Kurt quirked an eyebrow in interest.

"That Blaine in all your pictures," she said simply, like it was the obvious answer, "very handsome." She reiterated.

Kurt blushed yet again and automatically said, "We're just friends."

"Doesn't make him any less attractive." Carol joked. She patted his hand reassuringly and shot him a knowing smile before continuing with the divvying up of dessert.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt had just finished with the last bottle of moisturizer when his phone sounded from his bedside table. He lay down on his bed and answered the phone without even checking the caller id.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kurt!" Blaine's voice sang from the other end of the line. "I hope I didn't interrupt family time or something."

"Nope, your timing was perfect. So what's up?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, nothing new. Just hanging at Dalton, enjoying the weekend quiet. What about you? How's your family doing?"

"They're doing pretty good. Thanks to Carol, dad and Finn are eating more than just pizza and take-out, and Carol keeps a pretty nice house, so she's kept the stench of Finn's feet contained to just his room." Kurt smiled, half in a teasing spirit, half in real admiration for accomplishing that feat.

Blaine chuckled, "You make her sound like a saint."

"I'm almost convinced that she is. Or should be, at least."

They chatted aimlessly about this and that for nearly the next hour before Kurt began to yawn between his sentences.

"So, have you figured out how to apologize to Calvin yet?" Blaine asked before Kurt became too far gone to process thought.

"Nope," he stated simply, "I'm afraid that when I do get him to talk to me, I won't know what to say."

"Well, you'll think of something brilliant," Blaine replied with surety in his voice, "it's in your nature."

Kurt paused before replying sleepily, "…I think you just called me brilliant."

Blaine just laughed and wished Kurt a goodnight.

*~Line Break~*

"Finn, what are you so fidgety about?" Kurt asked the next morning at breakfast. He was starting to get aggravated as Finn narrowly avoided tipping his bowl of cereal over for about the fourth time.

Biting his lip, he tried to look innocent, "I'm not fidgety. You're always saying that I'm clumsy, so it must be that."

Kurt aimed a perfectly straight face at Finn that implied 'do I really look that stupid to you?'

Finn squirmed uncomfortably underneath his brother's gaze. "It was supposed to be a surprise." He whispered sheepishly.

"What surprise?" Kurt asked cautiously.

No sooner was the question out of his mouth when there was a chorus of knocking on their front door.

"I'll get it!" Finn nearly shouted, banging his knee painfully on the table as he stood with great haste.

Kurt sat there, shocked. Finn really was a piece of work, but he was a wonderful brother, and Kurt did his best to remember that.

"Kurt!" called a short brunette from the dining room doorway. She broke from the group of girls and nearly tackled him.

Kurt slowly stood up, still weighed down slightly by the small girl clinging to him, but felt the grin spreading across his face.

Mercedes and Tina were next in line to hug Kurt silly, not that he was complaining.

"I told them you were coming home for the weekend," Finn beamed, proud to finally be able to share his secret, "and I thought maybe you'd want to have one of those 'girl's day' things you used to have all the time."

Kurt broke free of his friends to wrap Finn in a tight hug, "Thank you so much Finn. You really are an incredible brother." Kurt couldn't even think of any biological siblings that would be so considerate to each other, and was truly touched by the sentiment.

Finn returned the hug happily and then stepped back to let the girls cling back onto Kurt.

"So, we brought The Sound of Music, since it's your favorite, Sixteen Candles since Tina's never seen it, and Breakfast at Tiffany's because, well, it's Breakfast at Tiffany's." Rachel explained with excitement.

"I also brought my new homemade hummus that I wanted to get the official Kurt Hummel seal of approval on." Tina said, producing a dish from behind her back.

"And I brought myself, because I'm fabulous as is." Mercedes said, full of diva flair.

Kurt laughed as he led them up to his room. It really felt like home now.

*~Line Break~*

"So, what time do you have to leave tomorrow?" Tina asked, spread out on the floor on a pile of pillows.

They had just finished with a rousing rendition of 'The Cell Block Tango' and were now sprawled out all over the room, trying to recover their breath after all the laugher and dancing.

"I'll probably leave in the morning, right after breakfast most likely," Kurt answered, "I have too much homework to get done." He glared menacingly at the untouched pile in the corner.

"Well then we should probably put in 'The Sound of Music' now, since this movie takes forever." Rachel reasoned.

"Actually," Kurt began, blushing lightly, "I actually sort of have plans to watch this movie all the way through with someone else…" he remembered calling a re-do to his and Blaine's failed attempt a while back.

"And who is this _someone else?"_ Mercedes asked with sass in every drop of her tone.

"His name is Blaine and-"

"Wait! Blaine? As in a guy?" Mercedes asked, "and he _wants _to watch 'The Sound of Music', beginning to end, with you?"

Kurt nodded, not knowing what else he was supposed to do.

"So he's gay." Mercedes said more as a statement than a question.

"Wow, way to stereotype," Kurt teased, but tacked on, "but yes, he is gay."

"He likes you!" Rachel cried from across the room, suddenly sitting up to see Kurt. She stood and jumped onto the bed next to Kurt and Mercedes, while Tina's head popped over the edge and rested her chin there.

"No he doe-" Kurt began, but was cut off by Rachel's assurance.

"Yes he does! Kurt, one does not offer to watch the _entire _'Sound of Music' with just a friend."

"Well, you just did, so are you trying to say that you have a crush on me?" Kurt shot back.

"That's different," Rachel said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "we don't play for the same team, and we're _best _friends so it makes sense. Also, I'm a fellow musical fanatic, so 'The Sound of Music' is a staple in my movie repertoire as well."

"Well, Blaine is a _best _friend too," Kurt tried to explain, "and he loves musicals, so it's possible that he just wanted to watch it. Plain and simple."

"Whatever, is he cute?" Mercedes had zeroed in on the "real question", " do you have a picture?"

Kurt stood to retrieve his stack of photos and grabbed his favorite. It was a picture of just himself and Blaine. They were sitting on a couch in the Warblers' rehearsal room at Kurt's first official rehearsal as a Warbler. They were sitting a little closer than usual and were leaning towards each other slightly, obviously in the middle of conversation. Huge smiles were plastered across their faces and there was a certain sparkle in their eyes.

The girls stared in silence for a few tense moments before breaking into fits of giggles and squeals.

"He's so _cute!"_ Tine crowed, a huge smile threatening to split her face in two.

"How did you snag that one?" Rachel asked incredulously.

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence," Kurt deadpanned, "and I didn't _snag _that one, remember? We're friends."

"Oh please," Mercedes snorted, "I can tell just through this picture that he's head over heels about you." She paused, just daring him to refute her. When he didn't, she pushed further. "And you like him right back." Once again, stating it as if it were a solid fact.

Kurt could have kept denying it, but he knew that his girls would always see right through him. Plus, he had always wanted to have a boy to gossip about, just like the rest of them, but never really had the chance, since all of his former crushes were straight.

"Fine, yes, I like him!" Kurt cried, throwing his hand up in defeat, "He's got the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen, and these long, thick eyelashes and an infectious smile that makes my heart feel like it's going to explode. He's a little short, but, oh my god, his body is phenomenal. He's got muscles but they aren't super over exaggerated, they're in all the right places and just enough. And he's kind and funny and loves to sing and dance and loves Vogue and-"

He was finally interrupted by the girls' laughter.

"Oh, Kurt, sweetie, you've got it bad!" Mercedes giggled.

"Believe me, I know." Kurt almost whined.

Deciding to continue on his rant of truth, Kurt forged ahead to explain the whole Calvin situation. They gasped at all the right spots and giggled when appropriate, and finally started spitting out ideas for a remedy. Mostly they sat, coming up completely dry, until Rachel stood up suddenly with an excited look on her face.

"Wait! You said that you're afraid you won't know what to say, right?"

"Yeah?" Kurt asked with a question mark.

"Well then why don't you sing to him?" She bounced on her toes, obviously pleased with herself.

At Kurt's hesitation, she launched into her explanation. "Come on, it's perfect! You can pick a song that expressed exactly how you feel and then all the words are already there for you! Remember New Directions? That's what we always did! If we had a problem, we sang about it! Who's to say it won't work now?"

Kurt sat staring contemplatively at her. She was right about New Directions; they sang about _everything_. There were some days Kurt was intensely glad that there weren't any songs that accurately described having a bologna sandwich for lunch. It may have been a little dramatic, but what was Kurt if not dramatic?

"I'll keep that in mind," Kurt said, still mulling it over in his head, "Thanks you guys."

And with that, they seamlessly switched gears to talking about the up and coming fashion trends of the season.

*~Line Break~*

By the time the girls left, dinner was over and dishes had been cleared. Kurt promised to visit a little more regularly and then ran upstairs to take a much needed shower and prep his skin for the coming day.

The idea of singing to Calvin kept buzzing around inside his head, and, all in all, didn't seem like the worst idea out there. He already had the perfect song in mind.

Pulling out his cell phone, he quickly dialed Blaine, hoping that he wasn't waking him up.

"Hey, Kurt!" Blaine answered excitedly.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Kurt asked, glancing at the clock that read 11:12 p.m.

"Naw, I can't sleep. I've just been sitting in bed reading. Why, what 's up?"

"I've been thinking about how to apologize to Calvin, and I think I've got it." Kurt wasted no time before cutting to the chase.

"Oh, okay." Blaine said still a little confused as to why this warranted a late night call to him.

"I'm going to sing him a song." Kurt froze, waiting for the laugher that was sure to come.

"Have you picked one out yet?" Blaine asked, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Kurt smiled a huge smile. He should have guessed that Blaine would surprise him. "Yes, I have, but I need you to play guitar for me. Would you be okay with helping out?"

"Absolutely," Blaine answered, the pit of his stomach twisting uncomfortably.

They spent the next 20 minutes hashing out the details and agreed to try for right after school, on Monday. In the Warbler's rehearsal room, since it wouldn't have anyone in it until 4:00, when the Warbler's met. They decided to meet at 3 to be there when Calvin, _if _Calvin showed up.

"I'll send him a text and ask him to meet us there," Kurt said, as the conversation wound down.

"Alright, just let me know." Blaine replied.

He wished Kurt yet another round of goodnight's and was about to hang up when he heard Kurt call his name.

"Yes?" he answered back.

"Thanks for helping me. It really means a lot to me."

Blaine smiled a little sadly on his end but replied with nothing but the truth, "Anytime."

As Blaine hung up, he felt a shadow of dread spread over him. _It's over, _he thought sadly. No more cuddling and gazing and kissing. It was all over. _But it doesn't have to be, _a little voice in his head answered slyly. Kurt had been very receptive to every new step they had taken in their "relationship" so far. Maybe it was time that he took the risk. Maybe it was time to just _ask _him…

*~Line Break~*

The following morning, Kurt sent Calvin a simple text:

_Please meet me in the Warblers' rehearsal room at 3:15 tomorrow after school. We need to talk. Please._

He didn't hear anything back until he was climbing into his black Navigator to drive himself back to school. The text simply read:

_Okay._

Kurt smiled. This was his chance to make things right. He quickly typed out a text to Blaine:

_Calvin agreed. I'm leaving for Dalton now; we'll talk more when I get back._

And with that, he set off towards Blaine, Calvin, and what was bound to be one of the most eventful weeks of his life.

**A/N: The next few chapter are hopefully going to be beasts, so they might take me a little more time to write (especially because it's tax free weekend here and I work every day), but I have some time off next week so I'm hoping to make these chapters some of the best yet! As always, I love hearing from you guys, so review or PM me! **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I'm still so excited to see that people are following this story and adding it to their favorites! It makes me very proud and embarrassingly excited, so thank you : )! I've also had some extremely generous reviews that make me smile like a maniac, which is the best kind of smile! I really hope that you like this chapter, I felt like I really hit my stride with it, and I'm actually pretty proud of it so…yay for me I guess lol! Enjoy!**

**Warning: I use a little bit stronger of language in this chapter once or twice so heads up! I feel like I used a lot of italics in this chapter for some reason, so if you're allergic, you may want to read in small doses. Also, there's some violence, so just be warned…hence the 'warning'…I'll shut up now…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 15**

It was 2:45 p.m. on Monday, and Kurt was officially starting to get nervous. He was pacing the Warblers' rehearsal room, waiting for Blaine to come, even though he wasn't supposed to come until 3.

_The song sounded great, Blaine and I rehearsed more than enough last night, it's a good song, it should all work out just fine, _Kurt tried to reassure himself. Something was still weighing him down though, and he couldn't figure out what.

It might have been because he knew, deep down, that there was the possibility that Calvin wouldn't forgive him; he would flat out reject his apology. This was _if _he even showed, which was a maybe, considering how hurt he must feel. Or possibly, he wouldn't like the answer he was given, and would end up terminating their friendship altogether, in favor of a friend who doesn't lie about dating other people. But Kurt wasn't ready to lose this friendship yet. He liked Calvin for the sweet, caring, shy, smart individual that he was, and expected nothing more from him. And he meant _nothing _more. For all of Calvin's wonderful traits, Kurt didn't feel that spark.

He froze when he heard the door to the room open and close softly, before he remembered that it was just Blaine, and not Calvin quite yet.

"Hey," came a deep, smooth voice that was _not _Blaine's and far from Calvin's higher, lighter voice.

Kurt whirled around to see Jude standing in front of the large, closed doors. He looked almost bashful with his head turned down, staring intently at his shoes, and wringing his hands nervously in front of his body.

Kurt's heart froze for a moment, all of a sudden very sure that he did _not _want to be here.

"Hi," he replied carefully, eyeing Jude cautiously as he slowly pushed away from the door with his hands buried deep in his pockets.

All was silent for a few tense seconds until Jude lifted his gaze to land directly on Kurt. Kurt felt the breath being ripped out of his lungs for the sheer magnetism in Jude's eyes. It was a mixture of anger and lust that was gone in a flash, and quickly replaced with sincere look of friendliness.

Kurt still felt a knot forming in his stomach, twisting low and deep as if something bad was going to happen. He quickly surveyed the scene, looking for a way out, just in case.

The large, wooden double doors were on the opposite side of the room, behind Jude, so that wasn't going to work. Kurt even briefly considered the windows, since they were on a ground floor, but decided that that would be a tad too dramatic of a scene, and horribly obvious if he was trying to escape; it would give Jude way too much time to catch him if that was what he intended to do. His only option was to try and keep him calm and work his way, nonchalantly, around the outer perimeter of the room.

Kurt slowly began to move along the back wall, that was really more windows than wall.

The charged silence was finally cracked by Jude. "Kurt…I just…" he paused and finally let out a colossal sigh that sounded like it had been kept pent up for far too long. "I just… I'm sorry!" He finally blurted out, seeming to grasp at the first words that even vaguely began to encapsulate the multitude of thoughts he wanted to voice.

He continued on in a rush. "I'm sorry for assuming getting coffee was a date, even though I never really said it was, and I'm sorry for losing my temper time and time again, and I'm sorry for the words I said to you, because I know, _I know, _that words hurt, and to think that I used them against you kills me inside! And I'm sorry that I hurt you, just plain and simple, _hurt _you! Your arm and your wrist…just…I can't believe that was actually me! And for me to criticize who you date?! I have no right! No right! Because it's not like I would be any better for you! And I'm just…I'm just _so _sorry!" Suddenly, his head snapped up to reveal his icy blue eyes, swimming with more emotions than one could count.

He lurched forward toward Kurt, stepping dangerously close and grasping his shoulders firmly, but not with the force he had used on previous occasions. This action not only steadied Kurt and brought them closer together, but effectively trapped him, with his back against the bookshelf.

Kurt froze under his touch, almost afraid to move, as Jude took a deep breath before plunging, head first, into another tirade, barely having paused from his last.

"It's just that I _know _that we would be good together! I _know _it! If we were together, we would be untouchable, Kurt! We would be so happy, because the way I feel around you…it could never be anything less than perfect!"

Kurt began to shake his head back and forth, as tears began to pool silently in his eyes. He didn't want to hear this. Not now, not here, and _not _from Jude. It was made so much worse because, taken out of context, his words were beautiful. But when he placed them back in Jude's mouth, they lost all their magic and became flat and toneless. Kurt continued to shake his head as the tears began to stream down his face one by one. He brought his hands up to cover his ears in a vain attempt to stop it all. _When did I start breaking so many hearts? _Kurt thought miserably.

"NO! No, listen to me!" Jude said, raising his voice as he moved his hands from Kurt's shoulders to yank his hands away from his ears. His eyes looked frantic, as he tried to make Kurt see what he saw.

"I can see it! I can see you and me, and it's wonderful! It's happiness like we never even dreamed!"

"You hardly know me!" Kurt cried, desperately trying to point out the insanity of the entire situation. He shrunk back from Jude's grip, trying to melt into the books on the shelf.

Jude held one of Kurt's hands in each of his, and used his grip to pull them to rest on his heart. "That's a lie and you know it!" he roared, eyes beginning to reveal more and more anger than sorrow. "I know you, I do, and you know me!" Suddenly, he rolled his eyes, and his voice adopted a biting tone as he spat out, "Or at least you would if you would give me a chance!"

The entire world was spinning and Kurt desperately fought for something to right it all. Jude was yelling and his body was too close and his smell was everywhere and the words were tumbling out far too fast to be safe, and falling too hard, with too little thought being given to censor their thoughts. It was unraveling and fast. _Too fast, too much, _Kurt began to panic as the madness whirled all around him and the tears steadily tracked down his cheeks.

"Give me a chance." Jude whispered, stopping all of a sudden. His eyes looked vulnerable and desperate.

His yelling ceased and so did all of his motion. He took in one final breath before swiftly leaning forward and capturing Kurt's lips in a kiss.

Kurt froze, unsure of what was happening. For a second, one blissful second, everything finally stopped. The words were gone and the world seemed to stop spinning altogether. Then, in a flash, he felt the stubble of another man's brushing up on his face, and he felt the lips moving against his, which lay defenseless and unmoving underneath. He saw flashes of Karofsky as he squeezed his eyes shut and felt his heart begin to hammer with that all too familiar outrage and terror. The smell began to choke him slowly; the smell of Jude: expensive cologne, something bitter and firewood and the smell from his first kiss: cheeseburger, dirt and sweat. His senses were on overload, but he was able to think one, simple thought: _No._

Ripping his hands from Jude's too tight grasp, He planted his hands firmly on his chest and shoved with all of his might. It caught Jude off guard, who was still busy kissing Kurt's unresponsive lips. He stumbled back; his eyes snapping open wide with shock as he almost fell on his back, but caught himself in a crouched down position.

The surprise in his eyes quickly turned to rage as he caught his balance and lunged forward, once again. From his crouched position, he caught Kurt around the waist and lifted him up, pinning him with his back against the bookshelf.

"No, no, no this is all wrong!" Jude said threateningly, his eyes colored with rage and lust. He attacked Kurt's neck, leaving hard, aggressive kisses in his wake.

"Stop," Kurt said feebly, still stunned that this was actually happening. The breath had been knocked out of him when his back hit the shelf, but he wasn't having very much success regaining it with the fear coursing through his veins.

Jude groaned in satisfaction, and Kurt snapped. Maybe it was because this had happened one too many times. _Hell, the first time was too much, _Kurt thought harshly. Maybe it was because he knew this was wrong, and he had assured himself that some part, the human part, of Jude knew this was wrong too, but that groan had disproven that theory. Or maybe it was because he was done being treated like he didn't matter. He was done being taken advantage of.

"Stop!" Kurt said forcefully and shoved against Jude's shoulders to detach his lips from his neck.

Jude stared up at him blankly for a moment, obviously trying to see through his haze of lust and comprehend what was happening. Finally, the realization of rejection dawned on him, and, for the first time, Kurt saw the ice of his eyes melt. It melted into a tidal wave of white rapids and whirlpools. Angry sea during a storm. Impending disaster.

Jude tossed Kurt to the ground like a broken doll, and then bent down to pull him up by his collar.

"You're too stupid to see that you're giving up the best thing to ever happen to you!" He yelled into Kurt's face.

Still absolutely livid, he shoved Kurt against the piano and stuck a finger in his face.

"You really think you can do any better than me?! No one even cares about you! You let me walk out that door, and you've lost any chance you ever had at happiness!"

Kurt tried to break free and run for the door but was immediately tripped by Jude's foot. He slammed down, face first, on the floor. Hard. Feeling a little dizzy, and still too out of breath to be comfortable, Kurt's head reeled as he felt that same foot connect to his back, landing right on top of one of the few bruises that had yet to heal from his McKinley days.

Gasping in pain, he felt an awful heat pool on his back. Blood, he was sure of it.

Jude stood over him, with a face as red as fire. "Look at you! Who would want you!? No one! _You are nothing!" _He emphasized each word to watch Kurt flinch as he began to rise from the floor.

Grabbing him off of the floor, Jude held Kurt in an iron grip, with their bodies flush against one another. Kurt could feel the cuts on his upper arm re-opening and new ones being made.

Shoving his face up to Kurt's, Jude let his nose drift across Kurt's and asked seductively, but with too much malice to really be alluring, "Last Chance."

Kurt began struggling instantly, anger building in his bruised and battered body. "Fuck you." He said, low and full of rage.

Jude's eyes widened with shock, not just at the curse word, but at the courage. His shock quickly fell into an all too familiar anger as he raised his hand to backhand Kurt across the face.

"HEY!" came a voice from the doorway.

In a flash, Kurt felt Jude's hands being pried off of him and a sudden coldness wash over him, as his body was peeled from the other boys.

Blaine had Jude on the floor in an instant, sprawled out as he tried to land a solid punch.

Jude quickly shoved the shorter Warbler off of him and regained his footing as Blaine rose to challenge him.

Before Kurt could register that he needed to stop this, before Blaine got expelled, he saw his fist fly out and land with a resounding crack on Jude's jaw.

Jude reeled back, holding his jaw, but Blaine didn't stop there. He swung out again and hit his side, before pushing him down and letting it all out. Kurt could hear a steady stream of choked whispers flowing out of his mouth as he bore down on Jude. "How could you? How dare you?" he said over and over again.

Finally, regaining some of his wits, Kurt leaped over to the boys.

"Stop it! Stop!" He yelled, before reaching out and resting a hand on Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine stilled instantly, and looked over his shoulder to find Kurt standing there, looking scared out of his mind.

He stood up and forgot about Jude.

He gently cupped Kurt's cheek in his palm, and began stroking his face desperately before asking in frantic whispers, "Are you alright? Did he hurt you? What did he do? Oh, Kurt-"

"You chose this whimpering idiot over me?" Jude interrupted, snorting with disgust at the scene before him. "I can't believe you'd date _that_! I do something bold to show you what you could have had, but you still really, honestly choose _this_?" Jude questioned with an insultingly high level of astonishment.

_Yes, yes I would, _Kurt wanted to say, but had a feeling that that wouldn't really help their current situation.

"What?" Kurt blurted out. His puzzled expression grew to understanding and then back to puzzled. "You thought we were really dating?" he motioned between himself and Blaine.

Jude stared back, obviously confused.

Kurt threw his hand up in exasperation before nearly screaming, "We aren't really dating! I made it all up so that another guy wouldn't ask me out! I didn't want to hurt his feelings because he's my friend!" Kurt let out a harsh laugh out of frustration.

Jude raised his eyebrows hopefully, as he stood up off the ground finally.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Kurt spat, seeing that Jude thought he had been referring to him, "we aren't friends." He said as coldly as possible.

Jude's face descended into a cloud of anger once again, but seemed to think twice about fighting back as he noticed the small crowd beginning to form at the doorway Blaine had entered through.

He quickly rushed out of the room, pushing people out of his way.

Kurt watched his retreating form move out of the door before his attention was caught by a small red headed boy standing front and center in the crowd of people. His eyes were tearing up and he looked absolutely crushed.

"Calvin," Kurt began softly, taking a step toward his shy friend, but stopped when he put up his hands. He had heard it all, Kurt was sure of it. He had heard his confession of the truth, in front of everyone.

"No," he said in a sickly voice, "just don't."

Calvin turned his head away, trying to hide the tears that began to leak from the corner of his eyes. "Thanks a lot Kurt. You could have just told me."

He left without one last glance and pushed his way through the crowd of people, until, he too was out of sight.

Kurt stood, his heart breaking slowly, as he stared after his friend.

He snapped back to reality when he noticed all the people still gathered at his door, watching with curious expressions.

"Okay, it's time to leave." Kurt said shortly and he stormed towards the door, "I seriously doubt that the most interesting thing in your lives is other people's personal business. And if it is, go watch Jersey Shore." With that, he slammed the giant doors closed in their stunned faces.

He turned around and let out an exhausted breath before leaning back against the door, sliding down slowly, and flinching when he hit the new cut on his back from Jude's kick. He ignored it and shut his eyes, trying to shut out the world and all the wrong currently in it.

He had been attacked again. Blaine was going to be in heaps of trouble for fighting. He had probably officially lost a very good friend forever, and there was bound to be gossip tomorrow.

The silence stretched on for a few minutes as Blaine gave Kurt the time he needed to calm his breathing.

"Kurt?" Blaine tried cautiously, "are you o-"

"Don't." Kurt cut in, trying to keep the tears in his eyes, "just, don't. Not now." He took a shaky breath and slowly stood back up.

Taking a tentative step forward, as if testing the waters, and continued. "Can we just skip it and have that conversation later, because I really don't want to talk about it right now." He could feel his legs and voice wavering slightly with the waves of emotion still crashing around in his veins.

Blaine nodded with large, wide eyes; the worry blatantly obvious in his creased brow.

Kurt stopped a couple steps away from Blaine and stood before him, simply waiting and wondering what was supposed to happen now.

"Well, I guess we don't have to pretend to date anymore." Blaine said, trying to smile teasingly and dissolve some of the palpable tension in the room.

Kurt smiled a small, pained smile and nodded, looking down. "Yeah, I guess not…" he trailed off as his face went from a forced happiness to a look of dismal sadness.

Blaine tried to keep the conversation rolling with, "That's good?" but it came out as more of a question than a statement.

"You know what?" Kurt said abruptly, bringing his tear stained eyes up to meet Blaine's perplexed hazel ones, "No it's not." The emotions in his eyes finally lapped over the edge and flooded the floor, the space between them, every crack in their armor, and ripped it wide open, exposing them for the first time before the other.

Kurt forged ahead because he really didn't have the energy to hold back anymore. "It may have been fake, or a ruse, or a lie, or maybe you thought it was one big _joke, _but it meant more to me than any real connection I've ever had with anyone!"

Blaine watched the beautiful words fall from this beautiful boy's mouth and longed to reach out for him, but his sheer awe of the moment kept him rooted in his spot, tears of utter joy building in unblinking eyes.

"I felt safe and secure and like I actually mattered! I don't know how you did it, but you made everything…okay. Better than okay! Fantastic! Exciting! Thrilling! You made me feel _real_! And it was all fake! Do you see how messed up that is?! I _pretend _to date you and feel more _real _than I ever have in my entire life!"

Blaine felt his face falling into confusion. _No, no, no, this is all wrong. What is he doing?_

Kurt took a very small step back, and continued letting the thoughts pour out of him. "I just can't even imagine what it would be like to _actually _be with you! It would be unimaginable." His voice was beginning to quiet down, until he was speaking in a barely there whisper.

_Does he think I don't want him? That I _wouldn't _want him? _Blaine was absolutely dumbfounded. He had thought that he had spent the duration of their fake relationship showing Kurt just how much he loved him. Showing him how good they would be for each other. How they could never be anything but _right _for each other. But apparently Kurt had just written that off as extremely convincing acting from a loyal friend. _No, no, no, _droned through Blaine's mind like a silent mantra.

"And I wish that I could be what you wanted," Kurt kept gushing, "I wish I was everything, but I'm not…I'm just me." And he hung his head like being himself was a deplorable thing.

_No, no, no…_Blaine tried to move his feet forward as he realized Kurt was beginning to back up towards the door.

"But it's over now," Kurt said, trying to put some strength behind his voice, still edging towards the door. Putting more and more distance between himself and Blaine.

_No, no, no…_

"You don't have to pretend that this means something to you anymore."

_No, no, no…_

"That _I _mean something to you anymore."

_No, no, no…_

Blaine finally stumbled forward a step…and then another…and then one more…and then two more and then four and then seven and finally he stood in the door but Kurt had already disappeared down the hall.

The mantra in his head finally switched to the word he hadn't been able to force through his lips:

_Stay._

He stood still, in complete shock. His head was on the verge of explosion, it was running so fast. He had been so elated as Kurt confessed to feeling something beyond friendship for him, he hadn't been able to _breath, _let alone move. But when the confession's nature changed into something more somber- a confession of insecurity and surety that Blaine did not reciprocate the feelings- Blaine's elation had morphed into shock and disbelief, rendering him completely useless.

_This is all wrong, _Blaine thought helplessly. _I need to do…something! _He almost screamed at himself.

He stood, lost in his thoughts, for over half an hour, until the Warbler's started filtering into the practice room around 4 p.m. for rehearsal.

"Are you okay?" Wes asked Blaine gently, as he stood there, still staring down the hall where Kurt had disappeared.

He stood there for a long time, simply staring, until he seemed to finally register the fact that someone was trying to talk to him.

"I messed up." Blaine whispered in a stunned voice, "Bad."

Wes and David looked at each other with raised eyebrows; they had never seen Blaine like this.

"Messed what up?" David asked slowly.

Blaine just shook his head with a frown, tears trying to collect in his eyes again.

"Okay," Wes said, still regarding Blaine cautiously, like he could snap at any moment, "anything we can do to help?"

Blaine's head finally snapped up, a hint of an idea in his brain.

_I'm going to sing him a song._

Kurt's words rang through his head from their conversation on Saturday night. Kurt had thought it to be an appropriate way to apologize to someone. Kurt found singing to be a good way to express nearly anything to someone.

Maybe it was time that he took a leaf out of Kurt's book. He just needed a song.

Finally, he turned back to Wes and David who stood, waiting with apprehensive faces.

"Yes." He answered, "I need some backup."

**A/N: Okay, so don't hate me! The next chapter should be a good one, and a little happier, so just hang in there! Just remember that it's the challenges they go through that make it oh, so much sweeter later on ;)! Believe it or not, I don't derive my pleasure from torturing you; I love you guys! So please review or PM me; it's always lovely to hear from you!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Ahhhh, you guys are the best fans EVER! I can't believe the love I'm receiving for this story and it just makes it all worth it! Thank you so, so much from the bottom of my heart! Okay, I had the best time writing this chapter and I think it may be a new favorite of mine, and I hope yours too! There are two songs in it, so just like normal, I'll post the names in the end author's note, so you can either choose to be surprised or you can look them up and listen to them before you read them! I love you guys so much and I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 16**

At 3:00 that morning, everything was finally quiet. The voices had stopped, his senses had calmed and the world was painfully still. Only his breath broke the darkness of his room.

Kurt had come straight to his room after his little tirade and locked the door to keep everyone out and himself inside. He didn't remember the specifics of what had happened exactly, but he remembers that the afternoon had melted into evening which had slowly slipped into night, all in a blur of tears and confusion. Then, when the last of the adrenaline had fizzled out of his blood, he had collapsed in a heap on his bed to be claimed by a fretful sleep that made his head hurt and his eyes seem all the more tired.

Now, lying awake in his bed, he felt the tracks of his tears dried on his face, sticky and sad, and a heaviness in his heart that hadn't been there this time yesterday.

In fact, this time yesterday, he had been convinced that he was well on his way to regaining Calvin's friendship and would still have Blaine, safe and sound, by his side, friends as always.

But somehow, somewhere, all of it had gone to hell, and he was now down two friends. One, a loyal, shy, wonderful person, who probably didn't even want to see his face ever again. The other: The love of his life, who he had most likely scared away with his little speech.

Hating the mess he had created and perpetuated, Kurt rolled over on his side to check the time; praying that he still had plenty of time to wallow in his misery. 3:14 a.m. … and a text message?

Curious, he opened it to find that it was from Wes. It read:

_Extra Warblers' practice at 6:00 a.m., Tuesday morning. Mandatory. _

Frowning, Kurt mulled over his options in his head. He could not go and probably only be punished with a light scolding and slap on the wrist. He was after all, their only countertenor, making him irreplaceable. On the other hand, he _had _skipped rehearsal yesterday afternoon due to the suffocating air in the rehearsal room, and Blaine's presence. He just couldn't take the awkward glances that were sure to come if he had stayed in the same room with Blaine. He didn't want his pity; he wanted his love, and if he couldn't have that then he wanted space. Lots and lots of space, until he could figure out how to be best friends with him again and nothing more.

But as sectionals loomed closer and closer, rehearsal was becoming more and more essential if they wanted to pass onto regionals, and right now, Kurt wanted nothing more than to focus on something, _anything, _else. He wanted something to work for and prepare for and actually win at, because right now, victory seemed to be in scarce supply.

Allowing himself to stay in bed until 4 a.m. Kurt finally rose to get ready for, what was sure to be, a horrendously long day.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt walked down the eerily quiet hallway, listening to the sound of his footsteps echo around the prestigious corridors. He tried to calm his nerves as he got closer and closer to the scene of yesterday's crime. His heart hammered as he really realized that he would actually be seeing Blaine in less than minute for the first time since sharing his true feelings. He took small comfort from the fact that they would be surrounded by a sea of people. _A sea is good for separation_, Kurt thought almost grimly.

He finally came to the doors and stood still before the massive wood barriers. Taking a deep breath he pushed them open and tried to slip in with as little noise as possible.

At the piano, sat Blaine, watching the doors expectantly. Jeff, Nick, and David all stood behind him and to the side, while Wes gently came up next to Kurt and led the stunned boy to sit on the couch. They were the only ones in the room and instantly, Kurt knew that there was no Warblers' rehearsal. There was something else going on, and he wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

Despite the honest effort he was making, Kurt couldn't tear his eyes from the beautiful man at the piano. Even after all that had happened, he had never really been _mad _at Blaine. He had been hurt and embarrassed and sad, but anger towards Blaine was not a card he held. If he was mad at anyone, it was himself, for letting himself believe that Blaine could ever return his feelings. He had allowed himself to get hurt by believing in this dream and reading into thing too much. Blaine hadn't intentionally hurt him, so he had no right to be angry with him.

So now, he looked at Blaine like he was some fabled creature he had been told didn't even exist one too many times, and now he was unsure how he was supposed to treat it.

He let Wes lead him to the couch in stunned and confused silence.

Wes and David had always joked that he and Kurt had had way too much "public eye sex", but Blaine had never felt more exposed than he had in that moment. It was like Kurt was undressing him with his eyes, but in a very different way than he had ever hoped. It was scary and unnerving and completely honest. Kurt was examining his soul, not his body. It was his intentions that were under observation as Kurt held his eyes still with his own.

Blaine had to hook his fingers over the edge of the piano bench to keep himself seated. All he wanted to do was jump up and run to Kurt, to hold him tight and whisper sweet reassurances to him, and make him see that he could never love anyone like he loved Kurt. He wanted to erase yesterday. But yesterday had happened, and as much as he hoped and dreamed and prayed, it would always be there. So now, he had to build a bridge, and repair the rift, because that was the only way either of them had a shot at that once in a life happiness that the wise speak of.

As Wes took his spot next to Jeff, Blaine took a deep breath and scraped his fingers off of the hold they had on the bench. He brought his fingers up to rest on the ivory keys of the piano gently, and took a deep, steadying breath.

"Kurt," he said quietly, as if the name felt so intensely good on his tongue that he could hardly stand it.

He paused, suddenly unsure of what he wanted to stay; of how _much _he wanted to say.

One thought, however, kept spinning around his head so he grabbed it and pushed it through his lips.

"It meant something to me."

Finally tearing his wide, eyes from Kurt's equally wide eyes, he glanced down at his hands and began to play.

_To be real_

_Is to understand_

_When I had you,_

_I was not,_

_Completely in tune_

Blaine glanced up as he paused the song for a tense second. His eyes held with Kurt's as he willed the rest of the song to really hit home. If this was the only shot he had, he wanted to make it worth it. He started the song up again, but his time with David beat boxing the drum part softly.

_Cause I was blind_

_I let you drift away_

He thought about his blunder of silence the day before, and wished for about the hundredth time, that he had been able to move or speak or do _something _to keep Kurt from walking out those doors. It may have been a little late, but this was his _something._

_I didn't give you,_

_enough to stay_

He wondered if he could have done more to show Kurt that he loved him. If all his cuddles and hugs and gazes hadn't been enough. He could give more; he just needed to be sure that it was what Kurt wanted.

_So you made up my mind,_

_And you walked away_

With the image of Kurt's heartbroken face turning away, painted in his skull, Blaine belted out the chorus as the rest of the boys joined in with a tight harmony.

_And why didn't I_

_Hold you tighter than tighter_

_When I could do no wrong_

_It's getting harder and harder_

Blaine's eyes began to mist over with tears as he felt the last line deep in his bones to be true. This past night, knowing that Kurt was in pain, largely because of what he did or didn't do, had been torture. The urge to find him and just _be _with him had been almost too much. And he knew it would only get worse with time. He powered on, still singing through his tears.

_Why didn't I,_

_Hold you tighter than tighter_

_How could I be so wrong?_

His eyes wandered over to Kurt's yet again to find the blue depths swimming with a multitude of emotions. He looked back with a pleading expression, showing Kurt how big of a toll these words were having on his soul;

_You can't hold on_

_To what it already gone_

Blaine's expression reached a level of desperation as he sang the next line:

_Come back baby_

Kurt felt his face flush in disbelief. _Is this really happening? _ His head was spinning yet again, but it wasn't as unpleasant as it had been the last few times; it was a different kind of spinning. He just wasn't sure exactly what _kind _of spinning it was yet.

The backup dropped out for the next verse, leaving just Blaine's pain drenched croon and piano melting throughout the room.

_Don't be strong_

_Don't let it go_

Blaine pleaded with Kurt, thanking the heavens that he had played piano long enough to not have the need to watch his hands anymore.

_Cause are you out there_

_With someone else_

_Are you telling him no?_

Blaine should have associated this with the obvious: Kurt telling Calvin no, Kurt telling Jude no, and Kurt, in a very roundabout way, telling Blaine no. Instead, Blaine thought of Kurt, years down the road, with another man. Someone who wasn't just a friend, or a jerk, but a genuinely nice guy who treated him well and made him laugh. And it scared Blaine to death, because that guy wasn't him. It was some nameless, faceless stranger with a nice smile and kind eyes, who deserved Kurt and his affection. Kurt wouldn't say no forever. Blaine just wanted to be that 'yes' so bad, because the thought of Kurt with anyone else made him feel sick. As if to persuade Kurt to choose him, Blaine sang the next lines with as strong a conviction as he could gather despite the tears that were dangerously close to spilling over.

_Cause I could be_

_Your shelter from the rain_

_Come inside now,_

_Not gonna give you pain_

_Cause I made up my mind,_

_I walk away_

Thinking of how he hadn't denied Kurt's accusations the day before, he realized that he might as well have just walked away. He had, in a unique way, abandoned Kurt emotionally. The tears finally slid down his cheeks as the chorus and the backup came back around.

_And why didn't I_

_Hold you tighter than tighter_

_When I could do no wrong_

_It's getting harder and harder_

_Why didn't I_

_Hold you tighter than tighter_

_How could I be so wrong?_

_You can't hold on_

_To what is already gone_

_Come back baby_

Kurt could feel his face become a little pink as Blaine stared relentlessly at him, with unwavering, teary eyes. Kurt's own eyes were beginning to get a gentle cloud of moisture brewing in them, but he shoved them back, determined to watch the show.

The song descended into the bridge, and Blaine began to play with more fervor and desperation as he looked quickly from his fast-flying hands, to the man on the couch. The music built with tension and volume as the backup began to swell like waves under Blaine's powerful voice.

_And why,_

_Oh why,_

_Won't you believe in me?_

_Why_

_Oh why,_

_Won't you believe in me?_

Blaine's eyes showed such tenderness as he gazed openly into his favorite blue eyes on earth. He was giving Kurt permission to believe that he meant it. He was trying to tell Kurt, with one look, that he knew what Kurt was feeling because those same emotions dwelled in his heart, and that it was okay to believe that someone loved him. This wasn't McKinley. He wasn't a bully; he was Blaine. And he loved him.

_Why didn't I_

Suddenly, the backup dropped out, and Blaine stopped playing the piano, but he continued singing; his voice suddenly vulnerable in the silence of the room. He stood slowly as he continued.

_Hold you tighter than tighter_

_When I could do no wrong_

_It's getting harder and harder_

_Why didn't I_

_Hold you tighter than tighter_

_How could I be so wrong?_

The backup came in from the last line, no beat-boxing, just the words:

_You can't hold on_

_To what is already gone_

Blaine was standing in front of the piano now, still with far too much distance between himself and Kurt, but he didn't want to make things move to fast. He saw the worry and confusion in Kurt's eyes and decided that it was time for him to put things into his own words.

"Kurt, I don't want you to be gone." He started out shakily; the tears still coursing heavily down his face. He didn't even bother with wiping them away. "I want you right here, next to me, always." He smiled a pitiful smile and shrugged like that was explanation in and of itself.

Kurt sat, completely stunned and unmoving as the gears began to, very slowly, turn in his head. It was a lot to process.

Blaine saw that Kurt was scrambling to pick up all the information that he had dumped on him, and knew that if they wanted this, this…_thing, _whatever they could ever possibly have between them, to last, then Kurt needed his time to think.

Blaine took a deep breath and stood his ground. "I know this is a lot, I was sort of in your shoes yesterday." He looked down bashfully, remembering the wonderfully terrifying feeling of hearing the one you love confessing that same love back unto you. "So I'm going to give you some time to think." He saw Kurt's eyes widen in fright so he quickly added, "don't worry, I'll never be very far. I just don't want to be a distraction either." Kurt nodded, seeming more at ease now. "Just call me when you need me, or want me and I'll be there." Kurt nodded again and then looked down as he heard five pairs of feet start to shuffle towards the door.

One of them closed the door softly behind them, and when Kurt looked up, he was alone.

He stood, shaking loose a few rebel tears, and walked in a trancelike state over to the piano. He sat down gently and lay his hands over the very keys that Blaine's hands had played a mere minute or two ago.

He pressed a few down gently, before beginning to sing softly.

_I don't want to ride this roller coaster_

_I think I want to get off_

_But they've buckled me down_

_Like it's the end of the world_

His voice rose in strength just a touch, as he sang the next few lines, almost accusatorily to himself.

_If you don't want to have this conversation_

_Then you better get out_

_Cause we're climbing to our deaths_

_At least that's what they want you think_

Kurt hated how the fact that Blaine liking him back scared him. It was terrifying because, before, when he was only dreaming, it had all been so blissfully abstract; now it was real. Now he was scared that when Blaine came to that same realization, he wouldn't want to be with an emotionally stilted boy anymore.

_Just in case we jump the track_

_I have a confession to make_

_It's something like a corkscrew_

Kurt took a deep breath before spilling his true fear of the temporary out in the open.

_I don't want to fall,_

_I don't want to fly_

_I don't want to be dangled over the edge_

_Of a dying romance_

Kurt took a ragged breath in to belt out the next part as frantic tears began to melt from his blue irises.

_But I don't want to stop_

_I don't want to lie_

_I don't want to believe it's over_

_I just want to stay with you tonight_

Kurt's hands froze on the keys when he heard the song playing from the door. His head whipped around to find Blaine standing there with a gentle look on his face and an iPod and dock in his hand. Looks like Kurt wasn't the only one who heard confessions through doors. The song picked up right where Kurt had left of and Blaine set it down on a small table by the table, before approaching Kurt with his hand held out. He was sick of all the walking away.

Kurt hesitated for a split second before placing his hand in the beautiful boy's outstretched one.

Blaine pulled him up gently and pulled him close. He began to sway a little back in forth in a slow dance. One of Blaine's hands was placed gently on Kurt's back while the other held Kurt's in a reassuring grip. Kurt let his other hand drift to Blaine's shoulder and rest solidly there. The aching newness of everything was mixed with a comforting familiarity between them.

Kurt allowed a small smile to grace his lips in what felt like the first time in years. His smile turned into one of bashfulness as he looked down and then glanced up at Blaine through his eyelashes. The musical interlude ended and Kurt picked up the words as almost an apology for his tirade and consequential flight the day before.

_I didn't mean to scream out quite so loudly_

_When we screeched to a halt_

_I'm just never prepared_

_For the end of the ride_

Blaine smiled encouragingly back and ducked his head to show Kurt that he wasn't mad. He took the next few lines and sang them directly to Kurt from within the warm embrace that filled their entire world at the moment.

_Maybe we should get on something simpler_

_Like a giant balloon_

_I've got two tickets left_

_And so do you_

Blaine pulled Kurt closer, capturing his eyes in a gaze of absolute passion, as he fervently sang the next words, trying to express just how badly he wanted them to give this a shot.

_Instead of giving them away to some stranger_

_Let's make them count, come on_

_Let's get back in line again_

_And ride the big one_

At that moment, Kurt knew. He knew that Blaine meant it and he knew that he was asking for a chance, much like Kurt had always dreamed that he would. He knew that Blaine cared and that he wanted more than anything they had previously had. He knew that Blaine wanted something _real. _With him. And he knew that he too, wanted something _real. _He wanted it so bad, he could feel his heart pick up speed and his breathing quicken. He felt Blaine's hand securely wrapped around his and his body molded against his perfectly. He felt the gently sway of their forms, still dancing slowly, and he felt the overwhelming swells of the music that made him weak in his knees. He clung to Blaine for dear life and would have collapsed into him if the intense _need _to see his hazel eyes hadn't been so completely necessary. So he kept his eyes fixed on Blaine's as the slightly shorter boy almost cried the chorus, pleading with his eyes.

_Don't you want to fall_

_Don't you want to fly_

_Don't you want to be dangled over the edge_

_Of an aching romance_

_If it's gonna end_

_Then I want to know _

_That we squeezed out every moment_

_But if there's nothing left_

_Can you tell me why_

_That it is you're holding on to me_

_Like it's the end of the world_

He shot a look at their clasped hands and raised his eyebrows ever so slightly at Kurt's white knuckled grip on his hand. Kurt followed his gaze to their hands but just looked back at Blaine with a naked vulnerability in his eyes.

The music began to slow and quiet, but they refused to release one another. However, they gave up the charade of dancing and stilled, showing it for what it really was: an embrace.

After the song had completely stopped, Kurt flicked his emotion filled eyes up to Blaine.

"I've imagined this a thousand times, a thousand different ways," he began, smiling gently, with tears still rimming his eyes, "and I'll admit, that I never came up with this scenario."

Blaine smiled back through his own tears. "Me neither." He chuckled quietly.

Blaine's face shifted into a look of contemplation and pulled Kurt impossibly closer. "If I had been able to speak yesterday, do you know what I would have said?"

Kurt shook his head a tiny bit, indicating that Blaine should continue.

And continue he did.

"I would have said that our fake relationship was the highlight of my life and I felt ridiculous for feeling that way because it wasn't even _real, _but I felt that way anyways, and I couldn't stop it no matter how hard I tried. I would have said that you mean everything to me, and I want nothing more than to actually _be _with you, and I've wanted that since I first laid eyes on you back on the stair case. I would have said that we could find a way to fix everything with Calvin and Jude eventually, because we make an incredible team, and we can do just about anything as far as I'm concerned. I would have said that you'll never know just how much that fake relationship meant to me or how much you mean to me, but I want to spend every single day trying to make you understand, because you're worth it, and I want to be the one to tell you that every day. I would have said so much and there's even more that I could have said, but I'm saying it now, because it's all still true and it always will be."

Blaine eyes searched Kurt's for any sign of fear. When he found none, he continued in small, steady voice that was full of confidence and conviction, despite the tears that were falling freely down his face.

"This can't be over," he said with stubborn simplicity, "because we haven't even begun."

The tears began to spill down Kurt's face as the words spilled from Blaine's mouth because Kurt heard what those words implied. They meant that there was more for them, that it didn't have to stop here. They meant that Blaine wanted to have something between them; that he _felt _what was between them. They meant that there was an end for the denial and the repression and that they could just _be _around each other and not have to worry that their words betrayed their true feelings. They meant that there was future for them.

All of these thoughts flashed through Kurt's head at light speed, and in the blink of an eye, he lunged forward to close the gap between their mouths.

Kurt's frantic lips kissed Blaine hard, desperately trying to elicit a response.

Blaine was too shocked to move for a second, but only a second; he wasn't going to let shock keep him from action again, he had already made that mistake. He moved forward, crushing Kurt against him, desperately kissing him back. They stumbled back, until Kurt's back was against the piano and Blaine was covering his front. Their faces, cold with tears, warmed up quickly as they grasped for each other, desperately assuring the other that the pain was over. Kurt's hand moved from Blaine's shoulder to tangle in the loose curls at the nape of his neck, while Blaine's free hand moved down Kurt's back to nestle into the small of his back securely. Their joined hands remained joined and were brought to hover over Blaine's heart, cradled between their bodies.

Finally breaking from the kiss, Kurt looked up at Blaine with wide, happy eyes, still bleary with tears.

"We're going to be okay, aren't we?" he asked with hitched breathing, already knowing the answer.

"Oh, we're going to be fine." Blaine breathed before moving in to kiss the man he loved again.

**A/N: Alrighty then, the first song is "Tighter" by The Fitz and the Tantrums. It's just such a good song, and I always thought that Blaine would sound great belting out that tune. Also, the sound sort of goes with his dapper vibe, don't you think? And the second song is "End of the World" by Matt Alber. I love, love, love, this song. If you haven't seen the music video, I strongly suggest it because it's beautiful and actually fits this story wonderfully! Okay, so I'm going to shut up and let you guys talk now, so leave reviews or PM me please! Love you!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey everyone, long time, no see, eh? Well, it feels that way to me. I had some family issues come up, so I sort of had to throw this chapter together, and to be honest, it's not one of my favorites, but I wanted to post something! Regardless, I hope you can enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 17**

The rest of the school day had crept by in the most unbelievably slow way, almost taunting the boys until they could be together again. Sure, they had two classes together, but those didn't roll around until the latter half of the day, and even then it's not like they could really _do _anything.

Finally, after their last class had ended and a quick peck on the cheek, Blaine was sitting at his desk, waiting for Kurt to get changed and meet him in his room.

Blaine's head was still spinning happily at the events of that morning. Everything was so different now and he wouldn't have it any other way. He remembered the feel of Kurt's fingers in his hair, his body held close, and his lips, oh God, his lips…

Blaine was so lost in his memory that he didn't hear the door to his room open, and see the very figment of his daydreaming slip in with a small smile gracing the very lips he couldn't stop thinking of.

All of a sudden, Blaine felt strong arms wrap snuggly around his shoulders from behind, and a nose nuzzled itself into the side of his neck.

"Hey, you," Kurt's voice practically purred. He lightly kissed Blaine's neck and ran his hands down Blaine's chest with his fingers splayed out wide.

Blaine just hummed in response; a blissful smile overtaking his features and his eyes shutting on their own accord. As he leaned back into Kurt's chest, despite the back of the chair that was in the way, he felt Kurt leaning back as well and detaching himself. Blaine turned around to see Kurt walking over to the bed and plopping down.

"So, how's it going?" Kurt asked awkwardly, his cheeks stained lightly with a blush.

Blaine's eyebrows raised in question as he answered, "Good…" slowly, and stood to make his way over to the bed. He sat down next to Kurt, but saw him stiffen ever so slightly, so he pulled back infinitesimally.

"Hey," Blaine finally spoke, using his index finger to guide Kurt's chin towards him, "what's wrong?"

Kurt just blushed a little more and shook his head, hoping that Blaine would drop it. _Fat chance, _he thought grimly.

"Come on, don't do that," Blaine spoke softly, an edge of worry starting to creep into his tone. "Talk to me."

He waited but Kurt still remained hesitant. Blaine's eyes widened as a realization hit him.

"Are you having regrets?" he asked very quietly, dropping his head so that Kurt wouldn't see the heartbroken look in his eyes.

"What?" Kurt said, voice full of confusion. "No, absolutely not!"

"Then talk to me," Blaine pleaded, praying that his tears wouldn't fall; today was supposed to be a happy day and it had already had far too many tears for his liking.

Kurt huffed out a sigh before bringing up his blue eyes to clash with hazel. "It's just strange, you know?" he paused and saw Blaine's apprehension. "Good strange," he reassured hurriedly. "I'm just not entirely sure how I'm supposed to act around you anymore."

Blaine searched the taller boy's eyes and saw the struggle in them. Before he could think of anything to say, Kurt was stumbling over an explanation.

"It's like, I have all these ideas about how it would be when we got together, but now that I'm actually _here, _and it's actually _happening, _I have no idea how this is _supposed_ to happen! I'm just so used to having to suppress everything around you, and now I have permission to _feel _around you and to just _be. _It's just so frustrating because-"

"-because you don't have to hide anymore, but it's a tough habit to break." Blaine finished for him, still holding his gaze.

Kurt nodded enthusiastically, happy that he wasn't alone in this. "But I want to, Blaine, I really, _really _want to!" His eager facial expression slipped into one of sadness as he continued much quieter, "I just don't think I know how."

Blaine slid closer to Kurt until their thighs were flush against the others. He looped an arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him even closer.

"I think I know how," Blaine said in a low husky voice. He stared deep into Kurt's eyes before leaning in achingly slow and pressing a firm, yet slow kiss to Kurt's waiting lips.

Kurt gasped under the still unfamiliar pressure, and began to kiss back with certainty. Their lips moved together in perfect harmony, quickly becoming more. Kurt's tongue teased Blaine's bottom lip and then disappeared into Blaine's inviting mouth. Gaining confidence, Kurt planted his hands on Blaine's shoulders and shoved him back, until he was lying down. Crawling on top of him, Kurt continued to eagerly deepen their slow, sensual kisses.

When the need for air became too great, Kurt broke away with a grin on his face. He rolled off of Blaine and snuggled securely into his side, giggling incessantly.

"What?" Blaine teased, poking Kurt in the side playfully.

That just caused Kurt to giggle even more, "Sorry if I went a little overboard, but I really liked that approach to breaking the habit."

"Am I complaining?" Blaine teased, arching an eyebrow.

"Didn't seem like it when your tongue was in my mouth," Kurt giggled yet again, not even attempting to hide how giddy he was.

"Ooo," Blaine cooed seductively, giving Kurt's waist a playful squeeze, "I like when you talk dirty." But even Blaine couldn't suppress the giggle that bubbled up.

"Okay, this is just too weird," Kurt said, still smiling, before adding, "good weird."

"I know what you mean," Blaine said, sobering up and seeming to slip into a daze. "I imagined us together too, you know." Blaine informed. He slid away from Kurt to turn onto his side. When he was facing him and able to look into his eyes, he continued. "I had so many different scenarios and day-dreams, and yes, fantasies, but now that it's _real…_well, that's uncharted territory."

Blaine paused before continuing, anxiety coloring his words. "I've never really had a boyfriend before. And now I have you." He glanced down at Kurt to find the boy's face alight with happiness at the word 'boyfriend'. Blaine smiled gently. "And not only do I not know what I'm supposed to do, but it's, it's… _you! _And I can't afford to mess this up!"

"Blaine," Kurt interjected quickly, before Blaine could freak himself out for no reason, "I'm not going anywhere." He said it with such conviction that his voice shook slightly under the weight of his words.

Blaine returned his steady gaze with a small smile. "I'm going to hold you to that." He said softly as he gently interlaced their fingers together.

*~Line Break~*

"Sound of Music, round two?" Blaine asked as he and Kurt finished their World History homework for the night.

"Well, it's either that or slipping into a coma." Kurt deadpanned as he cleared away all of his homework and stretched out next Blaine on the bed.

The beginning credits had just finished rolling when the door to Blaine's room flew open.

"Are you wearing clothes?" Wes asked loudly, already covering his eyes just in case.

"How about asking _before _you bust down the door." David said, elbowing Wes from behind, before shoving past him into the room.

Wes closed the door before stepping up next to David to stand with his hands clasped in front of himself like a secret service member. David mirrored him as they turned their attention to the two boys lying on the bed.

"So," David started politely, "how exactly did you think this was going to work?"

"Excuse me?" Kurt asked, completely lost.

"Did you think we wouldn't notice?" Wes picked up, as if Kurt hadn't even spoken.

"What are you talking about?" Blaine tried to ask this time.

David and Wes were on a war path however, and were not distracted from their questioning.

"I mean, did you _really _think that you could hide this from us?" David laughed.

"Were you just planning on keeping this under wraps until, one day, a few years down the road, you would just send us a wedding invitation?" Wes smiled, seemingly very amused by this idea.

Shaking his head disappointedly David continued, "Nothing gets past us, we thought you knew that by now. We can see the signs. I mean, you _are_ usually pretty affectionate."

"Holding hands," Wes interjected.

"Hugs," David picked up,

"Gazes," Wes said, his smug arrogance at believing he couldn't easily be duped, melting into realization just as David's face took on the same hue.

"Secret smiles," David added, slower this time, as he realized something. There was an uncomfortable silence as both Wes and David stood still, staring off into space, trying to figure something out.

"Huh," David finally said, voice full of wonder, "maybe you two aren't dating…" he trailed off, still apparently deep in thought.

"Yeah, you aren't really acting any _different_," Wes added, "just as hopelessly in love as before."

They looked at one another before turning back to Blaine and Kurt, who were sitting on the bed with matching patient smiles on their lips.

"Welp," Wes said suddenly, popping the 'p' on the end, "I guess we'll just get out of-"

Laughing slightly, Blaine reached over to Kurt and kissed him sweetly on the lips through his smile.

Wes' sentence morphed straight into a horribly undignified squeal. As he tried, unsuccessfully to lower his voice an octave or two, David was fanning his face while tears built up in his eyes.

"Just allergies," David assured hurriedly.

"I knew it, I knew it, I _so_ knew it!" Wes was ranting, pacing the room like a caged animal. "You were just so overly cute-" he glanced at Blaine's amused expression at his unmanly adjective choice, "I mean, overly…affectionate," Wes quickly tried to cover, "and I just had a gut feeling that something was different and that you two soul-mates-" he stopped abruptly again when he saw Blaine's teasing smirk at his "un-manly" intuition.

"You know what? Forget it! Forget trying to act tough!" Wes finally huffed, obviously tired of this game. "You two are just too freaking adorable for words and you're going to be so unbelievably happy together and you're going to get married and adopt 12 Asian babies together and be the most fashionable dad's in the daycare and those kids are going to be so lucky, and you're going to love them and cherish them, and I think I want to be one of them. Kurt, Blaine, will you adopt me? Can I be your Asian baby?" Wes finally halted his rant on that extremely serious note.

"I don't know," Kurt said, fighting extremely hard to hold in his laughter, "it's a little early in the relationship to make those sorts of decisions, but we'll keep you posted."

Wes nodded, still strangely serious and turned to David who was still shoving back his tears.

"I'm going to congratulate you when I can actually speak." David rushed out before grabbing Wes' hand and pulling him out of the door.

Kurt and Blaine sat in the newly empty room in a stunned silence.

"I'm not ready for children." Blaine said in a shock laced voice.

When their laughter exploded, it could be heard down the hallway.

The Sound of Music went unwatched…again.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt was walking to his favorite on-campus spot for coffee the next morning, the coffee cart, when he caught a flash of copper hair out of the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, reality came flooding back to him. He remembered why he had even been in the choir room that afternoon on Monday. He remembered Calvin's heartbroken face. He remembered the crushing feeling in his chest as it was currently attacking his heart again.

Before he lost his courage, Kurt surged forward and gripped the arm of the red-headed boy.

Calvin turned in surprise and his eyes widened as he realized that Kurt was attached to the hand gripping his arm. He urgently yanked his arm out of Kurt's hold and began briskly walking away, tears already shining in his eyes.

"Calvin," Kurt called, falling into step with him.

Calvin poignantly looked away, but Kurt just stepped in front of him, effectively blocking his path.

"Calvin, listen to me," Kurt pleaded, willing himself to be strong.

Even as the shorter boy refused to look at him, he wasn't running, so Kurt took this as a sign to continue.

"I messed up!" Kurt confessed in an exhausted sigh. "I messed up and I don't really know how to make things better, but I want to try."

Calvin remained silent and still seemed to find his shoes quite fascinating, but Kurt continued his one-sided conversation.

"Please let me try." He said in a broken whisper. "Right now," he suddenly said, making an impulse decision. "Right now, come with me to the Warbler's rehearsal room. I'd like to share something with you."

Calvin finally chanced a glance up and drilled his light brown eyes into Kurt's. Kurt saw fear and apprehension, but also an edge of hope and curiosity.

Playing off of that, Kurt pushed ahead with, "Please, Calvin. Let me try to make this right. I never wanted to hurt you. You're my friend."

Calvin continued to stand stock still.

"Think of it this way," Kurt tried, "I can try to ease you're pain a little bit, and explain why I lied, and either it works and you feel better, or it doesn't and you can just walk away."

Calvin shrugged and motioned for Kurt to lead the way.

_I hope this works, _Kurt silently chanted as he texted Blaine to meet him in the choir room ASAP.

*~Line Break~*

Calvin sat on the couch, so small, so innocent.

Kurt stood up front, trying to stand tall, but found that the ache in his heart made it that much more difficult. Nodding at Blaine, he softly began to strum his guitar.

Kurt looked directly into Calvin's eyes as he began to sing.

_Well maybe I'm a crook _

_For stealing your heart away_

_Yeah maybe I'm a crook_

_For not caring for it_

_Yeah maybe I'm a bad, bad, bad, bad person_

_Well baby I know_

He felt his heart hammering as Calvin's eyes stared unflinchingly back into his. He could feel himself as well as Calvin flinch on each 'bad' but was glad that they were striking a nerve. He pushed on, determined to make Calvin understand.

Suddenly, he saw a flash of blue peeking through the doors, which had been left open a small crack. It was an eye of the coldest blue, and instantly, Kurt knew it belonged to Jude. For whatever reason, he wasn't afraid like he had imagined he would be upon seeing his attacker. Maybe it was because he could only see a small sliver of his face, or maybe it was because he felt strong with Blaine only a few feet behind him but he couldn't unlatch his eyes from Jude's as he sang the next part.

_And these fingertips_

_Will never run through your skin_

_Those bright blue eyes_

_Can only meet mine_

_Across the room_

Finally ripping his gaze from the whirlpool of Jude's, Kurt slid his eyes back to the waiting stare of Calvin; feeling that the next words applied more heavily towards his friend.

_Filled with people that are_

_Less important than you_

Calvin smiled just the tiniest bit, only an infinitesimal lift in the corners of his lips, but it was enough to make Kurt's heart swell almost to the point of pain. _Maybe he finally understands that he's important to me, _Kurt hoped.

_Cause you, love, love, love_

_When you know I can't love,_

_You love, love, love,_

_When you know I can't love,_

_You love, love, love_

_When you know I can't love you_

Kurt was almost worried that the words would seem too harsh, but he was banking on Calvin's smarts. The words were really just the truth, and even though the truth can seem blunt, it is the greatest respect a man can pay to another. He was trying to do the right thing. Kurt only hoped that Calvin could see that.

_So I think it's best_

_We both forget_

_Before we dwell on it_

The music flat out stopped for a few tense seconds, as Kurt asked Calvin with his eyes to put this all behind them. All too soon, the music picked back up again.

_The way you held me so tight_

_All through the night_

'_til it was near morning_

Flashes of late night study sessions raced through his mind. He remembered laughing until they cried, and ached to get back to that time.

_Cause you, love, love, love_

_When you know I can't love,_

_You love, love, love,_

_When you know I can't love,_

_You love, love, love_

_When you know I can't love you_

Kurt tried on a smile, but it looked a little pained as the tears began to rack up in his eyes once again.

_Cause you, love, love, love_

_When you know I can't love,_

_You love, love, love,_

_When you know I can't love,_

_You love, love, love_

_When you know I can't love you_

When the last note had finally faded, Kurt's eyes flickered to the door for a split second, but Jude was gone. He pushed all thoughts of the blue-eyed Warbler out of his mind and focused on the sniffling freshman on the couch.

Calvin let out a strange bark of a laugh, more at his own tears than anything else while trying to wipe them away.

"We should uh…" Calvin began in his normal soft, gentle tone, having to stop and clear his throat, "We should study together sometime…" he trailed off, obviously uncertain of his own words.

Kurt's smile nearly split his face in half, but he managed to squeeze out, "Yeah, sure, I'd like that."

Things were far from repaired, but at least they had a start. It was the best they could do.

**A/N: Okay then, so the song in this chapter was, 'Love, love, love' by Of Monsters and Men. It's a really lovely song, and as always, I highly recommend checking it out! So, I know, not the best chapter, but I pretty much got my family issues squared away, so I should be able to find my mojo again and start cranking out some kick ass chapters! I sort of dreamed up a new story arc for their remaining semester, so I need to do a little planning and brainstorming, but I'm pretty excited about it! I'll shut up now so you can talk. Review or PM me! Love you guys!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hello! I hope you guys are doing well! I feel like my life is getting busier each and every day, but don't worry, I plan to keep this story a priority! As always, I'm going to sound like a broken record, but thanks to all of you who review or favorite or follow! Anyways, this chapter kind of ties up some loose ends, but also presents a new challenge towards the end, so I think it turned out pretty good! I hope you like it! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 18**

"Something's different, right?" Nick whispered to Jeff the next morning at breakfast.

Nick kept shooting glances at Kurt and Blaine, trying to discern the change that he just couldn't put his finger on. If he was being honest, it was more of a feeling than anything, but he was sure that something was different.

Jeff nodded fervently, his eyes still glued to the couple as they silently ate and chatted with intermittently with Wes and David.

"Definitely." He agreed. Turning his head, he smiled at his boyfriend, "Good to know that I'm not the only one who seems to think so." He leaned in and gave Nick a peck on the cheek, still smiling a little.

"Ew!" David called obnoxiously, "I'm trying to eat!"

"Seriously," Wes joined in, always backing up his partner in crime, "I think it's about time that we put a ban on swapping spit during mealtime. Too much…coupley-ness."

Rolling his eyes, Jeff decided not to fight their "ban" and opted to use the topic as a springboard. "Speaking of couples-"

"-Couply-ness." Wes quickly tried to correct.

"That's not a word." Jeff pointed out matter-of-factly.

"But it rolls right off the tongue-"

"Yeah, still not a word," Jeff interrupted, dragging a hand down his face, "_anyways, _Kurt, Blaine," he addressed, turning his attention to the boys in question, "is something…going on…with you two?"

Nick nodded, wide eyed to show his interest in the answer as well.

Wes and David instantly started chuckling, doing an absolutely horrible job at trying to conceal their amusement.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked, eyes so perfectly confused that he could have fooled anyone.

Blaine caught on in an instant, mirroring Kurt's confused expression and aiming it at Nick and Jeff across the table.

"I don't know," Nick supplied, glancing at Jeff to signify that he spoke for the both of them. "You just seem different…somehow…"

Blaine shrugged, biting back a smile, "I think you're just imagining things." He smiled sadly at them, as if he was really concerned that they had lost their minds.

Nick narrowed his eyes and studied the pair across the table before leaning into Jeff, who wrapped his arm around his shoulders reassuringly.

Kurt, wordlessly, copied Nick's movements and leaned into Blaine's side. Glancing up, Blaine easily guessed at the game Kurt was playing, and slung his arm around Kurt's broad shoulders.

Nick's narrowed eyes flattened out even further, as he glared at the duos innocent eyes. He wrapped his arm around Jeff's waist, keeping his gaze on the couple across from them.

Just like a mirror, Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine's midsection, and continued to look at Nick like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Nick tilted his head onto Jeff's shoulder, and Kurt followed.

Fed up with the games, Nick smirked at Kurt, almost daring him to copy him as he put a hand on either side of Jeff's face and pulled him in for a deep kiss, straight on the lips.

Finally opening his eyes just a tad to peek at Kurt and Blaine, he found Kurt voraciously attacking Blaine's mouth with an identical grip on his face.

"OH MY GOD!" Nick broke away suddenly. His eyes were taking up half of his face and his jaw had almost hit the floor as it went slack with disbelief and realization.

Jeff's face was equally priceless as he not only recovered from Nick's kiss, but realized what his boyfriend just had. As always, they were on the same page.

"You, but, I…just…" Nick finally just squeaked with happiness and gave up on words all together. He wasted no time circling the table and pulling Kurt into a tight hug.

"I'm so happy for you." He whispered into Kurt's ear before releasing him. He shot him a meaningful look, obviously silently referring to the discussion they had had a week or so ago.

Kurt just beamed happily, finally dropping all the games. He sat back down next to Blaine who had a very similar idiotic grin on his face.

Knowing that _he _had put that smile on his face caused Kurt's grin to widen impossibly. He leaned in to give Blaine's smile a kiss, only to hear David and Wes gagging in the background and Jeff and Nick cooing adoringly.

"We definitely need to draft up the paperwork for this 'no kissing ban'." David muttered in good humor.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt scanned the library for an empty seat, and quickly found one near a window. _Good for encouraging my procrastination, _Kurt smiled internally.

He had found himself doing that a lot lately. He smiled in his thoughts, in real life, and in his dreams. His smile was everywhere; not that he was complaining. Blaine had always had that sort of effect on him, but now it was multiplied by ridiculous. The knowledge that he could simply walk up to Blaine and kiss him, or grab his hand was simply intoxicating.

"Kurt?" a soft voice interrupted his musing.

Kurt glanced up to see Calvin standing awkwardly by the side of the chair across the table from him. He was smiling tentatively, but he still seemed slightly uncomfortable.

"Hey," Kurt greeted warmly. He really needed to try and patch things up between them. Calvin was a good friend and he didn't want to lose him. "Do you want to sit?" Kurt offered, gesturing to the empty seat Calvin was currently standing next to.

Calvin nodded, glancing up sheepishly and carefully sitting himself down across from the taller boy.

An awkward silence ensued, only broken by the soft murmurs of studying students around them.

Letting out a pent up sigh, Kurt decided that their silence had lasted long enough. "Calvin, I never directly said it, but I'm sorry." His eyes bore into the ginger's searching for an understanding.

Biting his bottom lip, Calvin nodded, a deep concentration creasing his brow. "Thanks," he began, nodding at Kurt, "but the song was more than enough." He glanced up through his lashes and smirked gently at Kurt.

Kurt laughed a little, glad that some of the tension had finally been cut.

Clearing his throat, Calvin continued. "I just…why Blaine?" he asked with genuine curiosity and not a hint of jealousy Kurt noted, very impressed.

"Well, first off, he was standing right there," Kurt tried to explain, "and secondly, I sort of had a crush on him, so if it gave me an excuse to hold his hand, then that was just a bonus." He ducked his head shyly, laughing at his own confession.

"Wow," Calvin giggled, "you're just as love struck as I was."

Kurt couldn't help but giggle along with his favorite red-head. "Yeah, I guess," he admitted, "but it worked out so…" he trailed off as he saw Calvin's face fall into a small frown.

Calvin broke the small worried silence with, "At least it worked out for one of us." Then his light brown eyes were fixed on Kurt's in a pained gaze, showing his obvious heartbreak.

Before Kurt could think of his action first, he reached across the table and rested one of his hands on top of one of Calvin's; trying to reassure the younger boy. Calvin instantly stiffened, but didn't seem to have the energy to move his hand. Shrugging instead, he let out a colossal sigh that seemed too big for the delicate boy.

"I just-" Calvin began before stopping; seemingly at a loss for words.

Kurt sat patiently, allowing him time to piece together his thoughts.

"You're incredible." Calvin finally began cautiously. He fixed his eyes on Kurt's and held the gaze resolutely. "You are a great friend and you make me laugh and the bottom line is that I like spending time with you. I thought, that, maybe, if I as lucky, you would want to me more than friends, but even then, I knew it was a long shot." He ducked his head down at the last moment, trying to hide the blush that was creeping up his neck.

"Calvin," Kurt sighed; frustrated that Calvin had such low self-esteem when he was a wonderful person, "It wasn't that long of a shot…" he stuck him with a hard look, filled with meaning.

Calvin's eyebrows only scrunched together as a perplexed expression took over his features. "Then why…?" but he quieted as a look of understanding washed over him. "Because of Blaine." He stated, sure of himself this time.

Kurt nodded but felt like that wasn't enough of an explanation. "Any other time, I probably would have said yes if you had offered," Kurt answered truthfully, "I mean, you're sweet and funny and crazy smart. Not to mention, you sort of have the cute nerd thing working for you." He winked cheekily, causing Calvin to laugh and blush like only a true ginger can. "But Blaine's just…" Kurt trailed off, trying to figure out how to keep it short and simple when he could just go on for days and days about his boyfriend. "Blaine is everything I want plus everything I need, and everything I didn't _know_ that I wanted or needed." He pursed his lips, trying to think if that covered mostly everything or not.

"He's just…everything." Calvin said simply, stealing the words straight out of Kurt's mind.

Kurt smiled gratefully and nodded, keeping his eyes keen on Calvin's response.

Calvin just nodded, seeming to mull it over in his brain before speaking again. "I want that." He said simply. He seemed to think a little bit more before smiling up at Kurt, a small yet sincere smile. "I'm happy for you, I really am. It's just…well, rejections a bitch."

Kurt stared for a moment before busting out laughing. Calvin was the last person he had ever thought he would hear cuss. He was convinced that the next ice age would come before a curse word crossed Calvin's lips. Calvin couldn't help but laugh too, enjoying the companionship that they had been missing as of lately.

"_Shhh!_" the elderly librarian was glaring as coldly as she possibly could at them.

Glancing at one another, they could feel another round of laughter coming on.

"Want to study in my room?" Calvin asked through his big smile.

Kurt nodded happily and started gathering his things.

As they walked out of the library and across campus, Kurt couldn't help but feel like everything was beginning to fall into place.

*~Line Break~*

"Honey, I'm home!" Kurt joked as he threw Blaine's dorm room door open.

Blaine turned around quickly in his desk chair with a gigantic smile plastered on his face. He stood up immediately and crossed the room to shut the door and then pull Kurt into a snug embrace. He let his hands trace mindless patterns on Kurt's back while he felt the taller boy go almost completely slack in his arms. Taking advantage of Kurt's completely relaxed frame, he bent down and hooked an arm around the back of Kurt's knees. He swiftly lifted him up, bridal style, and began walking him across the room to the bed.

Kurt would have yelped with surprise, but his voice was completely lost as he simply stared at Blaine.

After Blaine laid him down softly on the bed, he laid himself down next to the countertenor and immediately curled into his side. The position was quickly becoming familiar to the both of them.

"You weigh, maybe, a whole 80 pounds," Blaine teased, as he poked his boyfriend playfully on his stomach, "we need to fix that."

"Blaine," Kurt teasingly admonished, "not all of us have four stomachs and a massive sweet tooth."

"It is a gift." He replied, dead serious.

They lay in silence for a few minutes, reveling in the feel of closeness and the silence as it quickly became dark outside.

"I talked to Calvin today." Kurt threw out there. "I ran into him at the library after school and then we went back to his room to study." Kurt smiled a little, "It was nice."

Blaine nodded encouragingly. "Did you talk about…well, you know, the remaining issues?"

Kurt nodded in return; face folded into a smile of content. "I think it's mostly behind us now." He proudly reported. "He even wished us the best in our relationship."

Blaine's smile intensified as it always did when any direct reference was made to their newly changed status.

He gave Kurt an affectionate squeeze. "He's a good guy. I sympathize with him, you know." Blaine informed Kurt. "I know what it's like to be in lo- to have a crush on you. It's an easy thing to do." He rolled on, ignoring the almost slip of the 'L' word. "I'm just lucky enough that you returned the affection." He sighed, wishing that he would tell Kurt just how lucky he felt, but he was still afraid that it would scare him away. So instead, he bit his tongue, and smiled lovingly at the boy in his arms.

"Yeah, you are pretty lucky," Kurt said, feigning arrogance. However, his face slowly melted into an expression of pure wonder as he locked his eyes with the most beautiful hazel in his world.

"You're my everything." He repeated the revelation from earlier extremely quietly. Blaine had to strain to hear the almost inaudible sound, but when he did his heart all but stopped.

The sheer wave of emotion that Blaine felt was overwhelming. Even though they had been friends for months, they had only been officially dating for about 2 days. The funny thing was that he knew, logically, those kinds of words should scare him this early in a relationship. He knew that in a normal couple, the person in his position would take a big step back with hands up. But they weren't a normal couple, and he could feel that in his bones already. So maybe that was why those words didn't make him want to run, but instead made him want to dance and sing and cry and laugh all at the same time. He felt like his heart would hammer out of his chest if he didn't spontaneously combust.

Since the ability to speak seemed like too much of a chore, Blaine simply leaned forward and kissed _his _everything. He moved slowly and deliberately, trying to convey as much meaning into his kiss as he could. When he finally pulled away, Kurt was staring back at him in a daze, with a completely blissed out smile on his lips.

"I don't ever want anyone but you." Blaine finally whispered truthfully.

Kurt couldn't take it anymore. It was all so sincere and honest that he felt the tears in his eyes growing with each pound of his heart. The warm feeling radiating from deep inside his chest was so all consuming that he practically lunged at Blaine. He landed flush on top of him and instantly had their mouths sealed together.

Kurt's hands trailed down Blaine's sides and up again, causing the curly haired boy to whimper. Blaine's hands tangled deep into Kurt's hair and tugged lightly, pulling a small moan from Kurt's lips as they broke away momentarily. Blaine suddenly moved one of his hands from Kurt's hair and planted it firmly on his back. Using his new hold on Kurt he rolled them over in a flash so he could be on top. He removed his hand from Kurt's back and cradled his face securely, still eagerly kissing his parted lips. He felt Kurt's moans vibrating from his throat as he turned his kisses to the patch of porcelain skin on his collar bone.

Their kisses eventually began to slow, and they ended up cuddled up together, similar to their beginning position, except with Kurt curled into Blaine's side this time.

It was safe to say that life had finally taken a turn for the better.

*~Line Break~*

He downed his beer in a flash and quickly ordered another. Jude glared at anything and everything that dared cross his path at the moment, which wasn't really a lot, considering it was a Wednesday afternoon at Scandals. It didn't get very packed until the weekend, but Jude wasn't necessarily looking for companionship; he was looking for a drunken oblivion.

The school board had heard about the incident in the choir room and, due to the no harassment policy, he had been handed a nice little letter of expulsion. While it was an inconvenience, it wasn't really a problem; his dad donated _a lot_ of money to the school, therefore, it should take minimal arm twisting to get him back in.

However, it was going to be up to him if he wanted to go back to Dalton, and right now, he wasn't sure he wanted to go back to a school were Kurt roamed the halls with his little puppy of a crush, Blaine.

"Why do you look so pissed?" A big man asked from beside him.

"That's not really your business, now is it?" Jude snapped, really not in the mood for conversation.

"Listen pretty boy," the stranger replied in a stern tone, annoyance just at the edge of his voice, trying to creep its way in, "your anger is getting pretty suffocating, so excuse me for trying to help. Trust me, it's not something I do too often."

Jude sighed, already tired of talking, but tired of the silence as well. "Sorry," he said exasperatedly, "I've just had a bad couple of days."

The man nodded understandingly. "It happens to the best of us." He answered gruffly, but friendly enough. Taking a swig of his beer, he kept his attention on Jude, silently giving him permission to keep talking if he wished.

"I just…I got expelled for "harassing" this guy at school," he rolled his eyes at that, showing his disdain for the word 'harassing', "but I swear, we're meant to be…something! I don't know _what_, but something."

The man nodded yet again and smiled sadly. "Yeah, I know the feeling." He gave another short, simple answer, leaving the floor wide open for Jude to empty his thoughts.

Laughing a little at himself, Jude took another sip of beer, obviously starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. "He has the prettiest blue eyes, and he's tall, but not taller than me. And he has this soft, crisp voice when he's singing and talking. His hair is freakin' perfection, and even his name, Kurt, feels good in my mouth."

The strangers eyes widened a tad at the flux of information, and an odd glint raced through his eyes, but was gone as fast as it had come. Suddenly, he stuck his hand out.

"What did you say your name was?" he asked, suddenly much more interested in the conversation.

"I d-didn't," Jude replied, stumbling slightly on his words. He clumsily clasped the other man's hand and shook it sloppily, "B-but, I'm Jude. Jude Aldon."

The man smiled back, the odd glint returning to his eyes.

"Dave Karofsky."

**A/N: I've been toying with the idea of having Karofsky come back into the story, and I decided to go with it! Remember, Blaine knows about the kiss, but he doesn't know about the other sexual harassment or the death threat that are mentioned in, I believe, the first two chapters. Just something to keep in mind. Okay, I'm going to shut my trap so you can share your ideas! Feel free to leave a review or PM me! Love you guys!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey everybody! So school starts tomorrow for me, and I should probably be putting together my supplies and packing a lunch (because, yes I still do that; sue me!) but here I am, middle of the night, writing a chapter and planning on procrastinating until the last moment! GO ME, WHOO! Lol! Well, I think it was worth it, if I do say so myself ;) As always, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 19**

A couple hours later and a few more drinks, Jude was stumbling out of the bar with Dave holding his arm to steady him.

"Your cab should be here in about five minutes," Dave said, as Jude looked up at the night sky, completely zoned out and swaying on his feet.

"Where'd the birds go?" Jude slurred, genuinely confused.

Karofsky sighed and instead of answering he tugged Jude down onto a nearby bench, since balance didn't seem to be his forte at the moment.

They sat in silence, except for Jude's humming, softly under his breath.

As the cab finally pulled up to the curb, Jude stood shakily and looked Karofsky in the eyes with surprising intensity.

"I'm glad we're friends." He said, clumsily patting Karofsky's shoulder.

Dave slapped a smile on his face and nodded in agreement, "Me too." He carefully led Jude over to the cab and opened the door for him. "Remember, you have my number and I have yours so we can keep in touch."

Jude nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, sure. Maybe when my dad gets me back into Dalton, you can come visit me there!" The possibility seemed to excite Jude to the point of bursting.

"Absolutely! That would be awesome." Karofsky internally returned the enthusiasm, but on the outside, just smiled back warmly for the first time all night.

He waved goodbye and shut the door, watching the taxi whisk Jude away down the dark street.

Coming to Scandals had started as a nice way to unwind after a long day at school or a grueling football practice. He felt as though he could really let go and not worry if people were catching on to him and his not so straight ways. Who would have thought that it would lead him right back to what he had been looking for. And what _had _he been looking for? The blue eyed, counter tenor of McKinley high's glee club, that's what. Or should he say former member of the Glee club.

As strange as it sounded, even to himself, Karofsky knew that in his own way he missed Kurt. At least he didn't have to worry that Kurt would find out he was gay; he already knew. Kurt was the only one who knew that about him, and for that he was glad. But he couldn't help feeling a little relieved when we could walk passed the boy in the hall and brush his leg or the small of his back. It was like coming up from under water.

Kurt was the only one in their entire school that he could find at least a little release with, even if he denied liking it. Karofsky knew he did. So what if he apparently had a boyfriend now? This wasn't about him and it wasn't even about Kurt, it was about him.

With Kurt no longer roaming the halls of McKinley, Karofsky didn't have anyone to relieve the pressure with. Straight out bullying wasn't cutting it anymore. He needed Kurt, and he needed him soon. Or the pressure would just keep building and building and building…

*~Line Break~*

As morning rolled around, Blaine rolled out of bed. He usually slept late, but knowing that he had a boyfriend just down the hall, and that boyfriend was _Kurt, _made the adrenaline pump through him in an almost constant fashion.

The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon as he knotted his tie and inspected it in the mirror. With his hair firmly gelled into place and his uniform worn with impeccable precision, he set out to the courtyard, praying that the coffee cart was open.

To his delight, the coffee cart was open and perhaps the first customer of the day so far was waiting as the barista poured him some coffee. It was just light enough to see the delicate build of the customer and the shock of red hair on the top of the head.

For a moment, Blaine considered retreating to the cafeteria, and grabbing some lukewarm coffee there, but he decided that he had to face this at some point. Calvin was Kurt's friend, and obviously important enough to him for him to sing a song to, so he figured that he should try and welcome Calvin into his life as well.

"Calvin?" Blaine asked tentatively, tapping him gingerly on the arm to get his attention.

Calvin turned lethargically, in obvious need of the coffee he was waiting for. He squinted his eyes at Blaine, confused as to who was speaking to him, but only a second of that was necessary before recognition set in.

"Oh, hey. Blaine, right?" He shifted nervously from foot to foot and eagerly grabbed the coffee when the barista extended it over the counter.

"Yeah," Blaine replied, suddenly feeling awkward. He quickly ordered his coffee and paid for something to do, but turned back to Calvin. "I,uh…well we never really met. I played guitar for Kurt when he…sang to you." He laughed a little bit at his own awkwardness and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"No, yeah, I remember," Calvin assured hurriedly, every ounce as awkward as Blaine. "You're also the guy that Kurt pretended to date so he could avoid me." He laughed without humor, but his voice only held a fraction of the bitterness anyone else's voice would have possessed in his situation. "Trust me, when I thought you were dating him, I pretty much used your picture as a dart board." He let a small smile slip onto his lips as he glanced at Blaine to let him know he was mostly kidding. Mostly.

"And now?" Blaine asked warily, yet with a little more confidence than before. Calvin still seemed a little hurt, sure, but he was handling it quite well and didn't seem like he was going to bust out with a tribal yell and scalp him, or, more realistically, throw scalding hot coffee in his face, so he felt fairly safe.

Calvin shrugged and took a sip of his coffee tentatively, careful not to burn his mouth. "I decided that darts wasn't really my game." He finally raised his eyes to meet Blaine's.

Blaine returned the gaze and nodded slowly, showing Calvin that he understood and was glad to hear it. Quickly deciding that he didn't want to push this trust he was slowly gaining, especially this early in the morning with too little coffee in their veins, Blaine changed the subject as they began walking aimlessly around the courtyard.

"You look tired," he noted, nodding towards the enormous coffee that Calvin currently had a death grip on.

Calvin nodded and sighed in exasperation. "I am. I hardly slept at all. I had _way _too much studying to do, so I took about a 40 minute nap before I woke up at 4 a.m. to get back to work."

"Whoa," Blaine said, completely dumbfounded, "do you do that a lot?"

Calvin gave a grim nod but a weak, exhausted smile worked its way to the surface. "It's hard work, but it makes me feel accomplished and proud, so the trade is actually sort of worth it," he shrugged his small shoulders, "at least it is to me." There was a small pause until Calvin added, much quieter than his already gentle tone, "especially if it gets me to a college far away from home…"

Blaine pretended not to hear the last part, besides giving an almost imperceptible nod. He could understand the sentiment.

"Parents?" he guessed, staring down at the lid of his coffee.

Calvin nodded with pursed lips, rolling his eyes just a tad. "Isn't it always?" he laughed a little as Blaine sighed and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, 'yeah, pretty much'.

They walked in silence for a little bit longer, feeling as though a bridge was being built.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt was having a hard time placing the feeling he was currently lost in at the end of Warbler's rehearsal. He sat on one of the couches with his head resting on Blaine's shoulder lazily. Blaine's arm was wrapped around his waist and his hand was drawing random patterns on his side in a soothing manner. He felt sleepy and warm and happy and lazy and completely content and just…_right. _Everything was right. If right could be a feeling, then this was it.

He heard Wes droning on about something or other, and he heard the rain pattering against the window, but what he was concentrating on was the steady thrum of Blaine's heart, which he could hear faintly from his perch on the shorter boy's shoulder. It was soothing, and made him feel so relaxed that he was in danger of dosing off.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and shut out the rest of the world, Wes finally called an end to the meeting and everyone began stirring around and gathering their things.

Kurt thought about standing up like the rest of the boys, but decided to see how long Blaine would let him use him as a pillow.

"Kurt, Blaine," Wes said quietly from in front of them. Kurt blearily opened his eyes and tried with all his might to focus them onto Wes. As his figure finally solidified into that of a human, he saw Wes clasping a few papers in his hands and swaying gently on his feet.

"I looked into the adoption process and printed you out some information, so, uh…yeah, here you go." He set it down gently on the coffee table in front of them and turned to exit the room, closing the door behind him.

Blaine chuckled huskily, obviously feeling pretty tired himself. It looked as though his early morning was starting to catch up to him. He slouched even further back into the couch, until he was more lying down then sitting, and stretched his legs out diagonally as his body was leaning back into the corner of the couch, where the back met the arm. He kept his arm securely twined around Kurt's waist and brought the boy with him as he resituated, causing him to land with his head cushioned on his chest. Kurt quickly kicked his shoes off and Blaine followed his lead.

"You don't mind if we stay here for a little bit, do you?" Kurt asked sleepily, blinking up adorably at Blaine.

"Not at all," He smiled gently back and placed a small kiss on the top of Kurt's head.

*~Line Break~*

"What do we do?" David asked Wes quietly, eyes never leaving the scene in front of him.

David, Wes, Nick and Jeff had all come to collect Kurt and Blaine for dinner when they realized that neither of them was in their rooms. Wes had decided to check the rehearsal room just out of curiosity, since that was where he had last seen them, but to his honest surprise, he found the two boys snuggled up on the same couch they had been sitting on earlier, fast asleep.

"What do you mean, 'what do we do'?" Wes replied confused, "We wake them up." His tone added the 'duh'.

"You can't wake them up!" Nick cried in a whisper, frowning at Wes.

"And why not?" Wes asked annoyed.

"_Look_ at them!" Nick almost crowed, before reminding himself that he needed to remain quiet. "Their adorable! We can't ruin that!"

Jeff nodded, "He's right. We should just go to dinner without them. They can eat when they wake up."

Wes scoffed and crossed his arms in annoyance, clearly agitated.

"Wes, what's wrong?" David asked gently, placing a hand on his best friend's arm.

Wes continued to avert his eyes purposely, but finally gave in with a sigh, unable to resist his best friend's question. "They didn't even _look _at the adoption papers!" he whined almost pathetically.

David smirked a little but stopped himself, and instead, patted Wes' arm comfortingly. "Aw, Wes, don't take it personally. They probably just got busy."

Wes' facial expression melted into one of hope as he looked at David wistfully. "Yeah, you're probably right…" he trailed off as his train of thought careened onto another track. His face remained frozen in thought until it finally screwed up into a look of mild disgust.

"…Got _busy_…busy how?" Wes asked in a concern drenched voice.

"Oh no," Jeff said, quickly grabbing Nick's hand and pulling him to the door, "they're about to make something out of nothing and I want to eat dinner before the clock strikes midnight." And with that, Nick and Jeff slipped out of the door.

Neither Wes nor David registered their friends leaving as David's gentle smile slowly descended into contemplation, and then went even further into a look of sheer horror.

"Oh God. You don't think we're like…intruding on the afterglow or something, do you?"

Both boys turned to stare at the still sleeping couple, as if they expected them to suddenly be without clothes, or a used condom to be on the coffee table.

"What do we do?" Wes asked in a panicked whisper, glancing frantically at David.

"Well, first thing's first, we'll have to burn the couch." David said matter-of-factly. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them, I really am, I just can't sit on that couch again without feeling like I need to take a shower, you know?"

"Oh no, I totally get it. I'm proud of them for finally going there, but I don't think I can look at it without feeling like a voyeur."

"Maybe we can gift it to them?" David offered, "You know, like a wedding gift. It will always hold special memories for them."

Wes shot him a disbelieving look. "Oh yeah, that will go over great. 'hey guys, we thought you might want the couch you lost your virginity on, because we sort of stared at you in the afterglow, hope you don't mind us intruding on an extremely personal moment of yours!'" Wes shook his head in exasperation.

"Okay, so our option is to burn it?"

"Or set the mood…" Wes joked, until his face flattened out into one of contemplation. "or both…"

"Hmmm…maybe…aren't their some candles in here somewhere?"

They set out to decorate the room in as many candles as they could find. They figured that not only could this create a romantic atmosphere for their beloved Klaine, but if one of the candles just so happened to fall over or something, well, then maybe they could kill two birds with one stone.

"You do realize that if this place catches fire, then we'll effectively be barbequing our friends, right?" David pointed out.

"Oh please, that's why we're using _scented _candles," Wes said, lighting yet another candle in the slew they had collected, "it will only be a matter of time before the overwhelming scent of…" he quickly glanced down to the candle he was holding, "vanilla and lavender awakes them. The hope is that, in their haste to vacate the premises they'll knock one over. Either that, or their just leave them lit and leave."

This is how, two hours later, Kurt and Blaine woke to several dozen candles burning all around the room, and an almost sickening scent of vanilla and lavender swamping the room.

"What the hell?" Blaine asked no one in particular as he lazily rubbed his eyes.

"It smells like a perfume counter exploded." Kurt supplied, yawning hugely, and shifting his head from Blaine's chest, to his neck and nuzzling in further.

"Do you want to leave?" Blaine offered, wondering if the scent was beginning to hurt Kurt's nose like it was his.

"Can we stay for just a little bit longer?" Kurt asked hopefully, lifting his head up to bat his eyelashes playfully at Blaine.

It was then that they really realized just how close their faces had gotten. Kurt's pupils dilated some as he took advantage of the proximity.

"I'm just so warm," he said quietly, kissing Blaine softly on the lips. "And cozy," he whispered across his lips, before kissing him again. "And comfortable." Kiss.

Blaine's breathing hitched as he felt Kurt shift further on top of him and continued to kiss him softly. Kurt kissed slowly down his jaw line, and made his way methodically to his neck. He pressed feather light kisses to his collar bone and finally kissed his chest, directly over his heart. Settling his head down over Blaine's heart, he could clearly hear the thumping of it as it worked just a little harder than normal at the proximity of Kurt. Kurt smiled, knowing that it was him that made Blaine's heart quicken.

Blaine nuzzled his nose into Kurt's hair softly, inhaling deeply to find not a hint of vanilla or lavender. Instead, he smelt fresh linen and clean and something that was distinctly Kurt.

"I never thought I would have this," Kurt said quietly, breaking the silence that had taken hold of them. "I thought I would be alone for a long time." His words came out in a husky whisper that Blaine had to strain to catch.

Before Blaine could respond, Kurt started speaking again in that far off whisper, as if he were lost in his memories.

"After Karofsky, I felt like I would be alone forever. I couldn't imagine anyone that would want someone as damaged as me. Someone so covered in bruises, from their head to their soul; every part of me was bruised. I actually became okay with the idea over time. I mean, sure, it hurt like hell, but I thought, 'it's just destiny. Who am I to fight it?' Then you happened." Kurt choked lightly as the moisture began to spill from his eyes onto Blaine's button down shirt. "Now, you're here, and I can hold you and touch you and _be _with you, and it's nothing short of amazing to me. I want you to know that I never take you, or _this,_" he motioned between the two of them, "for granted." He finally looked up, propping his chin up on top of Blaine's heart. "I couldn't."

Blaine's heart swelled almost painfully, and he felt it pick up speed and he was glad that Kurt could hear it, because he wanted Kurt to experience how he affected him in every single way; even a biological one. He thought about saying 'I love you' but they hadn't even been together for a week, and even with all the candles and the beautiful words falling from Kurt's mouth, he just didn't feel the tug he knew he needed to feel to make it the right time.

Still striving for honesty, Blaine returned with, "I miss you."

Kurt's eyebrow quirked curiously as he silently asked Blaine to extrapolate.

"I miss you," Blaine repeated. "I've always thought that those are incredibly powerful words. When you tell someone that you missed them it implies so many things. You're saying that you _notice_ when they are gone, that they leave a sizable hole in your life when they're not there. You're saying that you don't like it when they aren't around and you _long _for them to be back. You're telling them that they belong with you and by you, because when they aren't there, something is wrong, and it's only set right when they come back. It's asking them to come back, because you won't feel whole again until they do."

Kurt continued to stare at Blaine with his head propped up on his chest. Blaine had been staring at the ceiling until that moment. He suddenly shifted his hazel gaze to meet Kurt's ocean blue one and they clashed with a palpable intensity.

"Every time that you left, every time you went home for the weekend or left the Lima Bean or texted me goodnight… I missed you." He stared at Kurt, willing him to understand the gravity of his words.

Kurt's eyes hadn't dried from his story earlier, but now they welled with a fresh batch of tears at Blaine's words.

"I've missed you too." He whispered, voice thick with tears as they began to drift down his cheeks.

Blaine's own eyes weren't fairing much better as he wiped gently, swiped his thumb across Kurt's cheeks, tenderly caressing his face and chuckling slightly.

"But we're here now," he said with watery cheer in his voice, as he laughed through their tears of love, "so I think we should find something to do besides crying."

Kurt laughed huskily and leaned forward, capturing Blaine's lips in a slow, loving kiss.

"Agreed."

**A/N: Alrighty then, I hope you enjoyed the whole Wes and David thing, because that literally came out of nowhere lol! It just sort of happened and I went with it! As always, I'd love to hear from you guys so feel free to review or PM me! Love you all!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey everyone! I know it's been a little while but I needed to adjust back into a school schedule (shoot me now!). As always, I want to thank those of you who are supporting me, whether it's from the very beginning or just recently, it absolutely makes my day! Anyways, I had a little difficulty finding a flow and reason to this chapter, but I tried to tough it out, so I could post something for you! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 20**

The weekend sped by in an unbelievably fast blur, and before any of them knew it, they were plunged straight into a week of endless rehearsals that finally led them to Sectionals.

As they filled the green room that Saturday, the excitement and energy was palpable. The boys milled around with a mix of nervousness and happiness as they sang scales and straightened their ties unnecessarily.

"So, do you think 'Come fly with me' was a good choice?" Wes asked nervously, wringing his hands like they were wet washcloths.

"It's Frank Sinatra," Blaine said seriously, "it's _always _a good choice."

Nick laughed from behind and was about to make a comment when he interrupted himself mid-sentence with, "What the hell?"

Kurt, Blaine, Wes, David, and Jeff all followed Nick's gaze to the door where a certain Warbler, or _ex-_Warbler, was standing, surveying the room.

"No way…" Jeff said in a completely stunned voice as he threw a questioning glance back at the rest of their group.

Blaine had immediately tensed at the sight of Jude and was beginning to take a step forward before feeling a hand grab his upper arm with surprising force. Expecting Kurt, he turned around with a softened expression which turned to inquisitive when he found that the hand belonged to Wes.

"Let me talk to him," Wes asked carefully, eyeing Blaine purposefully. "He must have a reason for being here and I can't afford for our lead to get into a fight right before competition."

Kurt nodded his agreement whilst resting his own hand on Blaine's other arm. At Kurt's touch, Blaine visibly relaxed a little and gave Wes a stiff nod; eyes still locked on Jude.

"What do you think he wants?" Jeff asked harshly; eyes glued to Wes as he greeted Jude.

"Me." Kurt answered simply, face seemingly emotionless.

"He's not going to touch you." Blaine said quietly in a voice so laced with venom that it could have killed.

Wes finally turned away from his conversation with Jude with a grim expression, and made his way back across the room to the rest of the guys.

"Jude's back at Dalton." Wes stated simply, looking at the ground and shuffling his feet nervously.

"What?! How?!" David crowed among the rest of the cries of outrage.

Wes fixed him with a steely glare and a 'how do you think?' look as he rubbed his fingers together in the universal money gesture.

"Zero-tolerance policy, my ass," Kurt scoffed as he ran a hand down his face, suddenly much more tired than before.

"Listen," Wes said loud enough so their immediate group could hear, "however much his dad paid to get him back in worked, so that means he is officially here and reinstated to his status before the expulsion," his composure slipped a tad as he muttered, "he's still a Warbler."

"But we've changed the choreography since he left!" Nick tried to argue.

"And we can change it back," Wes countered, clearly hating that he was stuck as the devil's advocate in this debate. "Guys, my hands are tied here. The school board decided this, not me. I have to allow it." He shrugged with defeat and looked at the floor.

The speaker's in the green room began to buzz with the noise of applause as the first show choir, The Hipsters, finished their set and a fifteen minute intermission ensued.

"Okay people!" Wes crowed, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound, "Next are the New Directions, and I want us all to watch their performance. They're our real competition."

As the mass of boys rushed out the doors to find seats, Kurt felt a hand gently tap his shoulder. He turned only to see Jude staring at him with large eyes.

"Kurt, I-"

"Forget it." Kurt snapped, turning briskly away to rejoin his friends.

No sooner had he made it out of the room when he heard his name being called again, except this time the voice belonged to a much different person.

"Kurt!" Rachel called again as she practically launched herself into the tall boy's arms.

"Hello to you too," Kurt was able to squeeze out within his laughter.

"I wanted to wish you the best of luck,' Rachel rushed out, all breathy with excitement at the upcoming performance, "But I still hope you lose." She said bluntly, gazing up at Kurt like she hadn't said anything the least bit potentially offensive.

"Same to you." Kurt couldn't help smile at how strange their relationship was.

"Kurt, you coming?" Blaine asked gently, nodding and smiling politely at Rachel.

Rachel's eyebrows raised dramatically as she shot Kurt a knowing look, clearly remembering Blaine from the picture Kurt had showed her and the rest of the girls. "Yes, he is." She spoke for him and shoved him into Blaine, giving what she probably thought was a terribly coy wink, and finally pranced off to join the rest of the New Directions backstage.

"Oh, if only she knew…"Kurt sighed, still giggling a tad over his encounter with the short brunette.

"Knew what?" Blaine asked, threading his arm around Kurt's slender waist and leading him into the auditorium.

"That you're my boyfriend." Kurt said almost victoriously, beaming at the word 'boyfriend'.

Blaine's face took on a similar expression. "Why would our relationship be of interest to her?" Blaine asked with curiosity glinting in his eyes. The curiosity nearly doubled as Kurt's face became a brilliant shade of red. "Oh, now I have to know," Blaine grinned devilishly, stroking a finger down one of Kurt's cheeks as they took their seats.

Kurt rolled his eyes and pretended to look disinterested. "I may or may not have said some…kind…things about your appearance last time I was with the girls."

"Kind?" Blaine smirked, "Did any of these "kind" words include hot, sexy, gorgeous, or perfect?" He quirked an eyebrow in a goofy sort of seductive way.

"Gorgeous may have slipped in," Kurt said nonchalantly, still teasing Blaine just a little, "and I believe 'phenomenal body' also happened to be a topic of discussion." He dared to shoot a flirty glance in Blaine's direction and was rewarded with not only a slightly flustered Warbler, but with lust starting to creep into the edges of his eyes.

Blaine began to lean into Kurt, dipping down to place his lips on the porcelain skin of the boy beside him. Right now, he could care less if they were surrounded by friends and strangers alike; his boyfriend was being adorable and…sexy. A side he hadn't really seen of Kurt yet. His lips had just brushed the pulse point of Kurt's neck when the lights dimmed and the crowd quieted; New Directions was coming on.

Blaine sighed lightly and forced himself to pull back with much regret.

"We'll finish this later." He whispered into Kurt's ear.

Kurt fought the shiver that ran through him as Blaine's breath flooded his ear and replied with, "promise?"

Before Blaine could even come up with a witty response designed to put Kurt on edge for the rest of the night, the lights flashed on as the first chord of music rang out along with Rachel's voice.

Kurt sat with a small smile on his face as the New Directions began to file out onto stage one by one. He was so unbelievably proud of his friends and former team mates that he couldn't help but bop his head along to the music and clap his hands until they were red as cherries. Sure, there was that little corner of his mind that burned with an odd sort of loneliness; that feeling that he should be up on that stage _with _them, instead of just cheering them on. But one glance to his right to see either Blaine gazing at his McKinley friends in amazement and respect, or their hands intertwined on the arm rest between them filled his heart with love and a contentment he had never thought he would get to feel.

When the New Direction's set was over, Kurt coaxed the crowd into a standing ovation, proudly cheering them on.

"Welp," David announced, as the crowd filtered out to the lobby once again for another small intermission, "Let's show them how it's _really_ done!" The twinkle in his eye showed that it was all meant in good sportsmanship.

The backstage area was bustling with energy as people ran from point A to point B. Wes wandered around to all of the Warbler's, making sure that they knew to switch back to the original choreography to include Jude.

They stood on stage, behind the curtain, patiently waiting out the remaining five minutes of the intermission. They had automatically configured themselves in a loose version of their first formation, ready to snap into place at the drop of a hat.

"Kurt." Jude pleaded again, standing next to Kurt in the formation.

Kurt continued to studiously ignore him.

"Kurt, please. I'm sorry." He said in a sorrowful voice. "Kurt, I-"

"Uh, no," Blaine suddenly interrupted, materializing next to Kurt from his place 2 rows forward, "don't talk to him." He commanded. "What you're going to do is sing the songs, dance the steps, smile like you mean it, and then, when we are done, you're going to walk your miserable self away from Kurt and stay away. Got it?" his teeth were clenched tight, visibly trying to contain his tirade to verbal lashings only.

"You're not his keepe-"

"I'm his boyfriend," Blaine said with a proud edge to his voice but steel in his eyes, "And I'm telling you to stay away. Got it?" he repeated.

Jude seemed to weigh his options in his head and decided against fighting this battle. He didn't agree to Blaine's terms, but melted back into a composed posture next to Kurt, facing the front.

Before Kurt had a chance to thank Blaine, or comment on the sexiness of his protectiveness, the lights flashed a few times, signaling that they had one minute until show time.

"Well, I got to get going," Blaine said playfully, vaguely waving his hands up towards the front where he was supposed to stand, yet remaining by Kurt's side, unwilling to move from his side.

Kurt smiled and waved, "Have a nice trip!"

Blaine rolled his eyes and smiled an adoring smile at Kurt before giving his hand a squeeze and walking back to his place.

To say that their set went well was an understatement. They moved as a well-oiled machine and their harmonies meshed with perfection. Much to Wes' relief, 'Come Fly with Me' was a smashing success and the rest of their songs, 'That Girl' by NLT and 'My Heart with You' by The Rescues had the audience dancing and swooning, just like they had hoped.

They exited the stage proud of the work they had done.

There was hardly anytime between their set and the results; only enough time for the judges to deliberate, and before they knew it, they were back on stage, grasping each other's hands and glancing worriedly at the crowd and judges, anxious as could be.

"We would like to thank all of the choirs for coming out today and putting on some fantastic shows," the local weather man started out, grinning cheesily out at the crowd, and vaguely gesturing towards the choirs surrounding him, "but now it is time to declare a winner!" He paused for applause that didn't come, so he hurried on. "Third place goes to the Hipsters!" They smiled, seemingly pleased with this, and graciously walked off stage to a healthy dose of applause.

"And the winner of the Sectionals competition, and consequent future competitors at Regionals in January, is…" he paused for dramatic effect and opened the envelope with an overzealous flair.

"The Dalton Academy Warblers!"

The crowd rose to their feet and cheered as the ridiculously big trophy was produced from backstage. The Warblers let out a collective yell of victory and began running around, hugging one another and slapping fellow members on the back. Kurt chanced a look at his New Directions friends and found them smiling despite the pain in their eyes. However, the smile was genuine as they caught Kurt's gaze and slowly approached, enveloping him in hugs and friendship.

"You guys kicked some serious ass up there today." Puck complimented, throwing an arm around Kurt's broad shoulders.

"Seriously dude," Finn piped up, "you could have warned us. I mean, we're brothers, man!" A goofy smile stayed on Finn's lips though and signaled that he was more proud than anything.

"If anyone else was going to win, I'm glad it was you." Rachel said with surprising honesty.

Kurt beamed at the praise and love he felt from so many. Everything seemed so surreal at the moment. He had the love of his friends, the audience, the Warblers, Blaine…

Speaking of the devil, Blaine appeared at Kurt's side to wrap an arm around his waist and pull him close. Not caring that there were people watching, Blaine kissed the corner of Kurt's mouth, trying to coax Kurt to turn his body to fully face him. It didn't take much coaxing as Kurt immediately melted into the embrace and kissed Blaine soundly on the lips.

When he pulled back he was met with the staring faces of the New Directions, who hadn't exactly heard the news yet.

"Oh. My. God." Tina said quietly from somewhere in the back of the group.

Instantly the girls were on not only Kurt but Blaine as well, since the two were currently attached at the hip.

Blaine blushed lightly at all of the attention and compliments but graciously accepted as best he could, clinging to Kurt for support and comfort, which only caused the girls to coo louder.

"Listen here, white boy," Mercedes finally sobered up some, leveling Blaine with an honest look, full of meaning, "treat him right. No if, ands, or buts. You don't get any options. It's either be good to him, or leave."

Blaine returned Mercedes eye contact with conviction and pledged, "Got it. But seriously, why would I ever want to hurt Kurt?" he grinned a little playfully as he gave Kurt an affectionate squeeze and gazed adoringly at the side of his face, "He's perfect."

The girls squealed as Kurt turned a fierce red but smiled shyly. Suddenly feeling the need to curl up next to Blaine on the bus ride home, feeling the need to be close, Kurt wished his friends the best and said his goodbyes.

They made their way out into the crowded lobby and fought their way through the thick mass towards the door.

A large, hulking frame was slouching against one of the walls, eyes already resting on Kurt when the countertenor spotted him.

A sinister smile slipped across Karofsky's lips as he winked at Kurt.

Kurt felt all of the warmth in him dissipate in the blink of an eye. He sank into Blaine's side even further, trying to disappear into something beautiful, something _right. _But the feeling of loneliness and fear clamped around his heart and squeezed it painfully.

It was only a moment before the crowd swelled and shifted and Karofsky was out of sight, but Kurt felt his nerves already fraying slightly with apprehension.

Blaine eyed Kurt thoughtfully as they sank into their seat on the bus. The countertenor immediately scrambled into Blaine's side, almost crawling into his lap. He wrapped both of his slender arms around Blaine's torso and brought his legs up to drape across the shorter boy's lap, whilst pillowing his head on Blaine's chest, tucked right under his chin. He nuzzled gently into Blaine's neck, eliciting a small shiver from the curly headed boy that made him smile softly. He breathed deep, filling his lungs with the scent of Blaine, trying to erase the smell of Karofsky that was starting to permeate his thoughts; sneaking out of his memory bank that he had locked away.

"Are you okay, baby?" Blaine asked in a concerned tone, slipping in the pet name easily.

Kurt sighed at the nickname. It made him feel like Blaine was staking claim on him; something he never thought he would appreciate let alone _like_. It felt as though Blaine was proud enough to be with him that he wanted to label him with endearments.

"Just cold." He muttered, suddenly tired.

Blaine wrapped his arms more securely around Kurt and started rubbing soothing circles into his back. He dropped sporadic kisses into his hair and nuzzled his face into the soft chestnut coif.

Kurt was too exhausted to care about the state of his hair, so he just let Blaine be close, and reveled in the feelings.

*~Line Break~*

"Hey, you came!" Jude smiled, obviously a little surprised. He clapped Karofsky on the shoulder and shook his hand in the jovial way that old friends do.

"Of course I did," Karofsky smiled, trying to return the enthusiasm, "wouldn't miss it." _Wouldn't miss a chance to see _him, Karofsky thought darkly. He remembered Kurt dancing around the stage, shaking his hips like there was no tomorrow. He was such a tease!

Jude stood a little awkwardly, not exactly sure what do say now that his system was devoid of alcohol and the air wasn't filled with smoke and darkness.

"Well," he finally broke the silence, "I have to get on the bus, but we should hang out some time?" it came out sounding more like a question, so far from the usual confidence that Jude exuded.

"Sure," Karofsky answered, shrugging as if it were something they did all the time.

"Actually, we'll probably be having a celebration party at some point. I'll keep you posted, but maybe you could drop in."

Karofsky smiled, assuming that _all _the Warblers would be present at this party. "I'll be there." He answered, smiling wickedly.

**A/N: Good news! My schedule got changed around some at work this weekend, so I work Saturday morning, and then I'm off for the rest of the weekend, so I should have a good chunk of time to dedicate to writing! Yay! But right now, it's not about me, it's about you! Thoughts? Comments? Praise? (kidding :P) Please review or PM me! Love you all!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Alright, so I said I had time to write this weekend, so here is a chapter for you! It's a lot of dialogue, but I think it's really pretty good, if I do say so myself ; ) ! Also, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who are following my story! I just hit 101 followers! Also, those of you who have favorited me or my story, well, you're my favorites, and those of you who review absolutely make my day! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I really do appreciate the support and love! I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee…and I don't think that's going to change any time soon considering it's chapter 21 and I'm still writing the same disclaimer…**

**Chapter 21**

When the bus finally pulled up at Dalton, the sky was black as could be and the night was peacefully still. One by one, the boys stumbled off of the bus, drowsy and completely drained from the victorious day.

"I need a down comforter and a soft pillow _stat_!" Nick mumbled, leaning heavily into Jeff who was pretty much carrying him.

"Agreed," Wes and David mumbled in unison. They tried to execute a high five for their simultaneous declaration, but they ended up missing and nearly slapping each other across the face.

Kurt, who was sleepy after waking from his nap on the bus, giggled at the exchange and looped his arm through Blaine's as the gaggle of boys clumsily made their way across campus, in search of their dorms and a good night's sleep.

Jeff nodded grimly to the group as he headed to drop Nick off in his dorm and return to his, which was once again inhabited by Jude. Wes and David stumbled into a random building, saying something about finishing a chemistry lab in an exhausted mumble. No one bothered to point out that it was 11 p.m. on a Saturday night. Slowly, the boys dispersed to their respective rooms, leaving Kurt and Blaine still meandering around the campus, arms entwined and staring at the sky with small smiles gracing their lips.

"Aren't you tired?" Kurt wondered aloud, placing his curious gaze on Blaine, who looked back with bright, alive eyes.

"Nope," he replied happily, eyes shining with excitement. "It's not uncommon for me to stay up for a good 24 hours straight after a good performance. I can't sleep because of all the adrenaline sparking through me." He bounced playfully on his toes to illustrate his point.

Kurt laughed lightly, pulling the boy a little closer. It was starting to get a little chilly since it was late October and the sun wasn't there to share its warmth with them.

"I'm the same way." Kurt confessed, glancing up through his lashes. "Plus, it doesn't hurt that I had a very comfortable pillow for my nap on the way home." He shot a silly wink at Blaine that had the curly headed Warbler grinning.

"You said 'home'," Blaine pointed out softly, glancing at Kurt with such affection in his eyes that it could have melted stone.

Kurt stared, a little startled at first. The first thing that ran through his mind was that he was betraying his dad. _He sent me here to be safe, not find a new family and abandon him! _He mentally scolded himself until he caught the look in Blaine's eyes. He searched Blaine's eyes carefully, searching every corner of them.

_What was home? _Kurt mused, _Not where, but _what _is home? _He thought about how home had always made him feel safe, feel free…feel loved. He thought about laughing until he cried and crying until he shook. Then he thought about specific things that signified home; things that sparked that warmth in his chest. He thought about his mom's laugh and Friday night dinners. He thought about Burt's grease stained coveralls and Finn's smelly football cleats. Then, out of nowhere, he pictured Wes and David high fiving in mid-laugh. He pictured Nick and Jeff making googly eyes at each other across the lunch table when they thought no one was looking. He pictured Blaine. He saw images of Dalton flash behind his eyes, swirling around his mind and that feeling of warmth-the feeling of home-intensified and spread through his entire body; breaking out of the confines of his heart. Dalton was just as much of a home to him as the house he shared with his Dad, Carol, and Finn was. He hadn't had to sacrifice anything; he had just added on, expanded.

Kurt stopped suddenly at this realization. Never before had he thought he would get to have any kind of sanctuary in this world, let alone _two. _The happiness that filled him would have had tears spilling down his cheeks in 2 seconds flat, but the sheer awe which simultaneously spread through him caused his tear ducts to remain dry and a smile of pure wonder to spread across his features.

He turned to a confused Blaine who had been watching him curiously since he didn't respond to his last comment. Kurt's little epiphany had only taken a few seconds in real time, as his mind had figured this all out in the blink of an eye.

Closing the distance between them, Kurt placed a small, simple kiss right on the confused furrow on Blaine's forehead. He breathed deeply, letting the scent of Blaine invade his soul and just allowed himself to enjoy the feel of holding the shorter boy so close.

"This is home." Kurt finally replied, leaning his head against Blaine's, but pulling back slightly to look him in the eyes.

Blaine swallowed thickly, sheer emotion building inside of him. He knew what the word _home _meant to Kurt, even if he had never directly told him. He knew how important his home was because he knew that it housed the most important things in Kurt's life: his family. For Kurt to bestow the title of 'home' unto Dalton was a fairly large deal.

"You make this more of a home to me than anything I've ever had," Blaine confessed. He forced himself to return Kurt's gaze steadily, even though he was afraid he would see panic in the blue depths. They hadn't been dating very long and even Blaine himself was surprised at how much he needed and depended upon Kurt already. It was so intense and so honest that it terrified him.

In the best possible way.

A smile gently began to tug on the corner of Kurt's mouth as it steadily grew into a beaming grin. As if he couldn't get any more adorable, a random snow flake dropped onto his nose, causing him to cross his eyes and scrutinize the drop of moisture.

Blaine giggled at the silly face as they both turned their attention to the sky. Snow was slowly beginning to flutter down from the dark night sky, adding a surreal glint to the moonlight.

"No way…" Blaine breathed incredulously, "It's _October_."

"It's Ohio." Kurt said as if that was answer enough.

For Ohio to receive their first snow of the season in October wasn't necessarily unheard of, but it didn't stop the boys from gazing at the sky like they had never seen it before.

Out of nowhere, Blaine began to laugh. Not just chuckle, but large guffaws that rocked his entire frame. Kurt turned to stare with a look that clearly questioned his sanity.

Wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes, he struggled to put his thoughts into words. "It's just…this…this is so…perfect…" he began to laugh some more, rendering him useless.

"…Ooookayyyy…?" Kurt drew the word out, cautiously eyeing his boyfriend.

Blaine finally managed to subdue his laughter enough to speak clearly. "I mean, seriously!? We're being all mushy and cutesy, and then it starts to _snow_!? Does this even happen in real life!?"

Kurt smiled, finally understanding what Blaine was getting at. "It is sort of ridiculous, really. It sounds like the sort of movie that's based on a Nicholas Sparks' book."

Blaine nodded with a goofy grin still plastered on his face. "Except that we're two gay teenage boys," he pointed out. He threaded his arm back through Kurt's and began walking slowly again.

Kurt shrugged, "I'd still buy it." He sent Blaine a smile and kissed him on the cheek because he wanted to and because he could and because it was finally allowed.

They ended up sitting down on a bench at the edge of campus. The unspoken agreement was that they wouldn't leave one another tonight; not when things were so blissfully perfect. Plus, it's not like either of them would be able to sleep.

They sat mostly in silence, watching the snow fall gently and oh so quietly around them. The air had a bit of a bite to it that sneaked its way under their blazers and overcoats, but they quickly discovered that cuddling was a marvelous solution to this problem.

Stretching out on the bench, Blaine motioned for Kurt to lie down as well. He obliged and snuggled into his side as Blaine wound his arm around the slender boy practically lying halfway on top of him. Not that he minded.

"See that there?" Blaine asked, unfolding his other arm from behind his head and pointing at the sky. "That's Orion's belt. And there's the big dipper and the little dipper isn't too far." He traced the constellations with his finger as he spoke about the origins of some.

Kurt listened intently; surprised by the sheer amount of knowledge Blaine seemed to hold on the subject. His deep, melodic voice held his attention captive as he listen to Blaine explain Orion's belt to him.

"Orion's belt is made of three stars: Alnitak, Alnilum, and Mintaka. These stars are actually light years away from each other, and they range from 90,000-375,000 times more luminous than the sun."

"Wow," Kurt breathed, staring at the stars with an almost humbled expression. "I can't even wrap my head around that." He continued in a daze.

"I know," Blaine agreed, "which is crazy, because, I mean, we're looking at it, right now. Yet, somehow, it still seems impossible." He shot a glance at Kurt, noticing how his words also described his feelings towards their relationship sometimes. He still had trouble grasping the idea that Kurt was _his. _They were together. He sighed lightly as he brushed a loose strand of hair back from Kurt's forehead, as Kurt shifted his head on Blaine's shoulder to gaze adoringly at him.

"How do you know so much about constellations?" Kurt finally asked.

"I've always loved looking at the stars," Blaine began, returning his gaze to the subject of his story, "ever since I was little. At first, it was just because they were pretty. But as I got older and things became more…complicated, I began to look at them for…I don't know, answers maybe?" He glanced at Kurt to make sure that he hadn't lost him. The blue eyed boy simply nodded encouragingly, signaling him to continue with his story. "I'm not religious," Blaine began slowly, "I never really have been, and neither is my family. So when I came out at 14, and my family began to shun me… I just didn't know where to turn." He let out a pent up breath and narrowed his eyes, as if trying to focus on those feelings from so many years ago and trying to match names with their faces. "I mean, I didn't have my family anymore, and it was becoming harder and harder to find and keep friends when they found out that I was gay, and then the realization hit me that I didn't even have a God. I truly had no one. I was _completely _alone." Kurt stared at the side of Blaine's face, watching as his jaw clenched and unclenched, trying to reign in the emotion that his story was drudging up. He could see the storm brewing in his beautiful hazel eyes. He waited patiently for the story to continue. After a few minutes of silence, Blaine took a deep breath and started back up again. "So I would look up at the stars and look for God or Mufasa or something, just anything that would give me some peace; something that would give me answers or advice. Then, I vividly remember one night just realizing that there were no answers to these problems I had. There was not one written, proven, correct way to deal with my issues. It was better than that! I had _options; _I could choose how I handled my problems. And I guess it was this massive expanse of sky and stars and planets that made me realize how little any of us know. Made me realize that I had so much to learn." He paused thoughtfully before saying, "When I realized that I could _choose _how I fought my battles, for the first time in my life, I felt like I had control." He laughed a little in good humor, "Do you know what that's like for a young friendless gay kid in Ohio whose parents don't know how to act around him anymore? It's an incredible feeling to actually own something, even if it _is_ only your decisions."

"Amen to that," Kurt agreed smiling at Blaine's smile.

The curly headed Warbler finally twisted his head to look into Kurt's eyes and away from the rest of the universe. He gazed at the slight boy nestled into his body with uninhibited love and adoration. He knew that his puppy dog eyes were probably seriously out of control right now, but he couldn't care less as Kurt returned that gaze proudly.

Kurt felt the need to share something with Blaine now that he had heard something so private. The need came, not from obligation, but from want. It was a strange combination to have: Need and want rolled up into one, but it made for a very powerful cocktail of urge.

"The first time I felt like I had control was when I stood up to Karofsky." He felt Blaine tighten his hold on his waist at the mention of his bully, but he pushed on. "It's silly, because it ended with him kissing me which was so _not _in my control, but," he felt a small smile spread serenely onto his face, "it felt so damn nice to finally unleash some of my pain onto him. To throw the words into his face and watch them pollute the air, even if no one else was around to hear them. The truth that what he was doing was _wrong _was finally said aloud and validated." Kurt smiled almost devilishly at Blaine, "it felt amazing."

Blaine chuckled, eyes still tight with worry. "I'm still sorry, you know." Blaine said softly, eyes catching Kurt's apologetically.

"For what?" Kurt questioned, quirking an eyebrow at the sudden shift in the conversation's tone.

"For getting you mixed up in that. If I hadn't of pushed you, he would have never had the chance to…do what he did to you…" he looked down like he was shameful.

"Blaine," Kurt huffed, slightly irritated that Blaine was trying to take the blame for something that was plainly Karofsky's fault. "if you hadn't told me to stand up to him, then I would have convinced myself to do it somewhere down the road. And then Karofsky would have done the exact same thing," He cupped the side of Blaine's cheek gently, silently asking the Warbler to look at him. After a few moments, he did and searched Kurt's eyes for any hint of anger. He found none. "At least this way, I had you to run to afterwards."

Blaine smiled tentatively back at him. Kurt smiled softly back, but decided that he shouldn't hide the Karofsky sighting from earlier that day from Blaine.

"I saw him today," he began slowly, his face taking on a serious undertone, "at Sectionals." He clarified.

Blaine stiffened and fought the urge to crush Kurt to his side and run. "What was he doing there?" he tried to sound calm, but the rage in his voice was only slightly subdued.

"I don't know, but…well, h-he winked at me…" Kurt realized that he was going to have to tell Blaine the full extent of Karofsky's harassment and possibly ruin one of the most perfect days and nights of his life.

"He what?" Blaine hissed, wanting nothing more than to slam this Dave guy into some lockers. _Taste of his own medicine, _he thought brutally, thinking of the bruises that Kurt had told him used to pepper his back.

"There are some things I didn't tell you." Kurt whispered. He was scared that Blaine would be upset with him for withholding this sort of information, but he was also scared to admit the sexual harassment out loud to someone. It had never been officially declared before, so it was almost easy to pretend that it hadn't really happened; it was just a bad dream.

"There was more?" Blaine asked in a strained whisper that sounded heartbroken.

"Yes," Kurt replied simply. "After the kiss, every time he looked at me, whether it was to give me a slushy facial or to slam me into some lockers, there was always this unsettling edge of lust in his eyes."

Blaine heart started pounding a little faster with sheer anger. His arm began to rub frantic circles into Kurt's side.

"He would brush his hand across my thigh if he passed me in the hall, or would openly stare at my ass if we were in an empty hallway together, that sort of thing." He bit his lip, bracing for the rest of the story. _Might as well be all or nothing, _Kurt thought.

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine breathed, turning on his side so he could face Kurt. Thank God for wide benches. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked with a furrowed brow and tears pooling in his eyes, making them glisten in the most beautiful way in the soft, luminescent moonlight.

Kurt cleared his throat a little awkwardly. "I don't think I even wanted to admit it to _myself. _He had already taken my first kiss, and now he was invading my personal space again by lusting after me." Kurt shrugged, turning blurry eyes up to meet their hazel twins, "I just wanted it to go away."

Blaine nodded, seeming to mull the information over in his head.

Kurt closed his eyes and spat out the next part, almost wishing that he didn't have to hear his own voice restating his nightmares into words. "Then he threatened to kill me if I told anyone."

The entire campus was quiet. No birds or students or wind. Even Blaine's breathing stopped for just long enough that Kurt opened his eyes tentatively to check on his boyfriend.

Blaine's entire olive toned face had drained of color, leaving it a ghostly pale that was far too close to Kurt's complexion to look natural on him. The words echoed around his head, starting a dull ache in his forehead as the words beat around inside his skull. He couldn't get past his anger, and an overwhelming fear. He had been so close to losing the love of his life and he hadn't even _known it! _

Blaine swiftly sat up and buried his face into his hands, elbows on knees, trying to hide the tears that were slowly making their way down his face. "That _bastard_." He said through gritted teeth, "he better pray to God that I never find him, because if I do…" he trailed off, allowing his rage saturated tone to fill in the blanks.

Kurt sat up as well, and shifted closer, laying a gentle hand on Blaine's rigid shoulder. "It's okay, I didn't get hurt-"

Suddenly Blaine was on his feet, staring at Kurt with outrage coursing through every fiber of his being. Hot, angry tears poured down his face.

"No, Kurt, it's not okay! It will never be okay! He threatened _your life_!" He began to frantically pace back and forth in front of the bench where Kurt still sat. "I can't even _begin _to process this..this _feeling!_" He raked his hands through his disheveled hair and let out a massive sigh of frustration and fear. His legs seemed to suddenly lose power and he dropped into a crouched down position, hands holding the sides of his head, fingers tangled in curls.

"I don't know what I would do without you." He whispered, fear drenching every syllable. "I don't _want _to know what I would do without you."

Kurt sat, completely silent, waiting for Blaine to run out of words. Suddenly, Blaine rose to his feet and was gesturing wildly as the words tumbled out of his mouth haphazardly, tangling with his ragged breathing.

"I can't imagine my life without you, Kurt! That was true when we became friends and it's just as true _now! _The thought of losing you, in any way, shape, or form, scares the hell out of me! But the thought of this ass hole…_taking your life away from you_…it makes me scared as hell and sick to my stomach. It tears my heart in half and makes me want to punch something, _anything! _I just, I can't lose you Kurt, I can't lose the love of my life when I have so much life left to live! It's not fair and it's not something I want to even _think _about! I need you safe, by my side, at all times! I can't help it, I just do!"

Blaine finally collapsed back down on the bench next to Kurt, trying to catch his breath and wipe the remaining tears off of his face.

Kurt turned to look at him slowly, a look of wide eyed amazement characterizing his face. Blaine just assumed his reaction was in response to his little tirade until Kurt smiled the smallest of smiles.

"I love you too." He said softly, a fire burning deep in his eyes.

Blaine froze immediately, his eyes snapping up instantly to find Kurt's. _Too? _He thought perplexed. _When did I say I lo-_

His thoughts were interrupted but Kurt's lips as they suddenly crashed into his. Blaine's arms automatically wound around the other boy as the force of his ambush caused Blaine to fall back some until he was wedged into the corner of the bench, where the arm and the back connected. Kurt wasted no time raising himself up and swinging a leg over Blaine to land his knee down on some of the free space on the other side of him. The combination of Kurt straddling him and kissing him deeply and moaning and confessing his love was the most delicious sort of sensory overload for Blaine. He kissed back fervently, still confused as to why Kurt said 'I love you _too_'. He ran through his little spiel in his mind as his hands ran down Kurt's face to grasp the back of his neck. _Oh! _He suddenly realized. _Love of my life…got it._ With that nagging question answered, Blaine decided that he had wasted enough time thinking, and traced Kurt's strong shoulders with his hands. He felt Kurt's hands slide slowly down his chest to rest on his stomach. Kurt's hands slowly separated and moved to Blaine's sides, massaging gently. Blaine moaned out of sheer happiness and desire, as he wrapped his strong arms around Kurt's back and pulled their chests flush together.

"I love you, Kurt, Oh God, I love you," he mumbled over and over again between kisses, because he could and because it was true and because it felt right and just _because! _

"So, so much, Blaine, so, so much," Kurt replied breathily, hands inching in between the buttons on Blaine's button down, to touch the skin underneath, but keeping the shirt closed, as it was still snowing and removing clothing would only be asking for hypothermia.

When little black dots began to blink in front of his eyes, even though they were already closed, Kurt slid off of Blaine to sit next to him instead of on top of him, and the slightly shorter brunette instantly sought out warmth and proximity as he snuggled himself into Kurt's side.

Nothing else was said that night besides 'I love you' as they watched the sun rise over the campus.

There was no way they were going to be able to sleep after winning at sectionals and declaring their love to one another. There was just no way.

Not that either of them were complaining.

**A/N: I was just really in the mood to write some fluff and, I got to tell you, the fluff is so much fun to write when you're in the zone! However, I think that they talked out some important issues which needed to be discussed. What do you think? Review or PM me! Love you guys!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hello! What's up everybody? Alrighty, so I have a new chapter for you (duh…) and I'm hoping you like it (duh…). Since I seem to be making only extremely obvious comments, I might as well add that I still am very thankful for all of you that are following my story or me and adding this story to your favorites! Also, the reviews rule, so if you are a reviewer, give yourself a pat on the back (…you actually did, didn't you?) Anyways, like always, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 22**

"I will cancel Warblers' rehearsal tomorrow if you can get me 200 balloons, inflated and ready to go, in the next 20 minutes!"

Wes was in full out party planning mode, barking orders at unsuspecting Warblers and even random passersby. He was scrambling to set up the Warblers' rehearsal room into the perfect victory party venue, that Sunday evening. It was the only the day after their wonderful win at Sectionals but Wes had insisted upon holding the party as soon as possible; almost like one last hurrah before buckling down for Regionals in January.

Kurt sat silently in the corner, watching with wide bemused eyes and snickering at Wes' odd demands that he would randomly throw out over his shoulder; hoping against hope that someone would latch onto it and fulfill it.

"Can someone _please_ carve out that watermelon into an acceptable bowl to serve fruit in!?"

David gave a serious nod of agreement as he helped Wes hang a banner that said 'Congratulations!' in large, silver letters!

"Hey," Nick chimed from the door, instantly gravitating towards Kurt through all the chaos of the decorating. He plopped down on the couch next to Kurt and smiled warmly at the countertenor. "How's it going?" he asked politely.

"Going good," Kurt said amiably as they both watched the room whirling with excitement all around them, "How about you?"

Suddenly, Nick burst into a face splitting grin. "Can I show you something?" He began silently bouncing in his seat.

"Sure," Kurt agreed, warily eyeing Nick as he practically jumped out of his seat and bolted for the door.

"So, how are you and Blaine?" Nick asked conversationally. Well, it would have been conversational if he hadn't been fast walking down the hall and occasionally shooting a glance over his shoulder at the perplexed Kurt who was trying to keep up not only with Nick's long strides, but his train of thought.

Despite all of Kurt's confusion, he couldn't help the silly grin that slid onto his face at the mention of his boyfriend.

"We're doing good," he sighed dreamily, not even noticing when they stopped in front of Nick's dorm.

"Oh, please," Nick smiled back knowingly, rolling his eyes as he smirked towards the love struck man by his side. He nudged his door open and motioned for Kurt to follow him in. "_good?_" he stressed the word as if testing its relevancy. "Just good? I doubt it's_ just_ _good _because of that massive canyon you call a smile currently etched in your face."

Kurt giggled and flopped down on Nick's bed, staring at the ceiling as Nick closed the door behind him and started rummaging through his closet.

"Okay, _fine_," Kurt said with feigned annoyance, "It's fantastic! Incredible! Stupendous! More than I could have even hoped for!" He rolled his head to the side and quirked an eyebrow at the blonde boy. "Happy now?"

Nick smiled and nodded, seemingly pleased with himself, as if he had uncovered a humongous secret.

"I'm really happy for you guys." He stated seriously, his smile softening into a gentle approval.

Kurt mirrored his attitude and instantly calmed down into a content sort of bliss.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes; each boy lost in their own thoughts.

Kurt's thoughts were, as usual, stuck on Blaine. He kept picturing his face and voice as if he were actually here. His scent, his touch, his kiss…

"I got Jeff a ring." Nick stated out of the blue.

Kurt's entire frame froze with shock and uncertainty. All but his eyes remained locked in place as they slowly and steadily swept across the room to rest on Nick.

Nick fidgeted nervously, turning a small blue, velvet box around in his hands as his eyes remained glued to his twitching fingers.

"Yeah, I uh-"

"You _what_? " Kurt interrupted; still not entirely cured of his stun. "You got him a _ring?! _Like a…_ring _ring?" Kurt tried to clarify, eyes still wide with shock.

Nick laughed a little, still obviously uncomfortable. "Uh, yeah, a _ring _ring." He scrunched his face up as if he was bracing himself for Hurricane Kurt, "as in, like, an…engagement ring…"

Kurt sat up slowly to gain better eye contact with the nervous boy, but remained seated on the bed, while Nick didn't move from his spot in front of the closet, across the room, on the opposite wall.

Nick finally let a sigh rake through his body, and a hand flew through his hair. "Look, I know what you're thinking, and I know that just about everyone is going to doubt us, and, yes, I realize that it isn't even _legal_ in Ohio, and you probably think I'm crazy but-"

"Whoa!" Kurt interrupted, holding up his hands in front of him. "Who said anything about craziness? You're talking to the guy who attempted friendship with the love of his life." He leveled Nick a comical glare, "I hardly think that I have the right to judge you on romance, let alone your sanity."

Nick smiled at Kurt's unique way of consoling. The nervousness seemed to evaporate from his face and was replaced by an appreciative smile that glowed with warmth and excitement.

"I just saw it in the store and thought it was perfect." Nick said, gesturing vaguely down at the box. His cheeks were beginning to turn a light shade of pink. Happiness bubbled deep in his gut. "So I went out on a limb and just bought it. I figured you're the only one who would appreciate the design as much as I do." He flicked his eyes up from his busy fingers to lock with Kurt's eyes, which were a predominately green color today.

"Well," Kurt teased, leaning forward anxiously, "are you gonna let me see it?"

Nick popped up in an instant with his extraordinarily large smile back in place. He practically skipped over to the bed before bouncing down next to Kurt.

He held out the simple little box and opened it to reveal a simple silver band with a small diamond fitted into the band itself. It was refined and simple, much like Jeff's taste, making it a perfect fit for the unsuspecting Warbler.

"Oh, wow," Kurt breathed, reaching out in trance like movements towards the little loop of metal and brushing it carefully with his fingertips. "Oh, Nick," he said quietly and dragged his tear shined eyes up to meet Nick's proud expression, "Jeff's going to love it."

Nick positively beamed in response and closed the ring box to set on his nightstand table.

"I don't think I'm going to propose or anything like that for a little while," he said thoughtfully. It was apparent that he had already fought his way through this particular dilemma. "But, I know that I want to be with him. Forever." He said with conviction beyond that of a teenager. His eyes shone nothing but truth and trust.

"What does he make you feel?" Kurt asked, almost nervously. He was almost certain that it was far, _far_ too early in his and Blaine's relationship to be thinking about forever yet, but he couldn't help but think how desirable that sounded to him. To have Blaine by his side; to have him when he was sick; to have him when he missed out on a Broadway role and needed a half gallon of ice cream; to have him when he made it big; to have him when he made lasagna; to have him for whatever life threw their way; the ups and downs, the insignificant and the major; to _have _him. Forever. The longing in his chest ached wonderfully at the thought, but it also terrified him, because surely, he shouldn't be having this deep of feelings towards a boy he had only been dating for a few weeks. But they loved each other. They had loved each other for months; long before they had become boyfriends. Blaine wasn't just his boyfriend, but his _best _friend. He could tell him his deepest regrets to his most embarrassing moments to his biggest dreams or fears. This was something different; something special. It was a rarity that he was lucky enough to experience, and, yes, it was terrifying and fast paced, but he wouldn't have traded it for anything even remotely tame. He was too happy with what he had.

Kurt was startled out of his thought bubble when Nick answered his question with a sigh and a contemplative expression. "He makes me feel safe." He said slowly, as if trying to piece his words together to make some sort of sense. "He makes me feel happy for no reason, and like I matter." Nick shook his head disbelievingly, smirking at his own disability to express himself adequately. "He makes me feel like my words aren't powerful enough." And with that he looked directly into Kurt's eyes, knowing that the same thing could be said for Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt caught his breath and returned Nick's gaze evenly. He felt his heart stop and stutter a little before picking up a strange, syncopated rhythm. _Yes! That's exactly it! _His mind rejoiced, astonished to have his feelings understood by someone else and not see them as ridiculous.

"It's not too much too soon, you think?" Kurt asked, just to make sure. He needed to hear the words being said.

Nick knew exactly what Kurt was referring to and answered without an ounce of hesitation. "For fickle people? For most people? Yes, it is. But for you and Blaine?" Nick shook his head slowly, "No, I don't think so. You guys lucked out. You have…something. I don't know what it is, but it works and it's what makes you so damn good together."

Kurt's smile slid back into place on his face as he murmured quietly, "We_ are_ pretty damn good together, aren't we?"

*~Line Break~*

As night finally came around, the Warblers, along with many other Dalton students began to fill the rehearsal room. The music became louder and louder and the food became more and more forgotten as the boys turned to the dance floor when the girls, brought by some of the other Dalton students from nearby Genevieve's Girl's prep, began to show up around 10.

Wes, who had been nothing but a total party Nazi earlier, was reaping the benefits of his meticulous planning and currently going absolutely insane in the middle of the dance floor.

"What has gotten into him?" Kurt asked Nick as they finally entered the party. He motioned to Wes who was currently trying to coerce David into dancing with him. Kurt and Nick had spent the entire day talking and hanging out. They got along wonderfully and both had a deep, abiding passion for high fashion. Kurt was also thrilled to find that Nick wasn't opposed to singing show tunes originally sung by women. Needless to say, their day had been chocked full of Barbara and Patti.

Nick smirked and pointed to the punch bowl. "Every time we throw a party, someone spikes the punch. Not like we try to stop it." He pointed out, grinning devilishly.

Kurt laughed; shaking his head at the seemingly well put together boys of Dalton Academy and their antics.

Kurt scanned the masses of people until his eyes landed on a familiar gel-helmet of a hair-do. Blaine was standing at the edge of the crowd waving at a small group of students as they passed. He was out of uniform and Kurt couldn't help wondering how anyone could make a simple pair of dark jeans and a gray v-neck t-shirt look so good. It was unfair, really, but he couldn't be too mad at the injustice when it looked _that _good.

Nick noticed Kurt's gaze lock onto Blaine across the room and knew exactly how he felt. They had spent the better part of their morning declaring the love that they felt for their boyfriends, and now, _poof!, _here they were. Realizing how crucial it suddenly seemed to find Jeff, Nick shot Kurt a knowing glance, even if Kurt only had eyes for Blaine, and said, "I'll see you later, Kurt." And quickly walked off to find his other half.

A small smile flickered over Blaine's lips as he surveyed the ceiling above him that was laden with streamers and balloons. The over-the-top nature of the party absolutely _screamed _Wes. He laughed a little at Wes' obvious dedication into everything he did; it was admirable, really. Well…and creepy too, but we can't all be perfect.

He was so lost in the strands of taffeta and over- all thump of the bass that he didn't notice Kurt walk straight up to him and grab his face until he felt the heaven that was Kurt's lips pressing feverishly against his own.

Blaine eyes slid closed and his own hands rose to grip Kurt's waist securely and tug him closer. Kurt groaned in satisfaction and began to card his hands through Blaine's hair, trying to release the curls. A little voice in Blaine's head told him to move this little show to a more private venue, but when he snapped his eyes open for a split second to take a quick look, he quickly realized that no one was paying them any attention. They were either too busy dancing or mingling. The alcohol circulating throughout the punch was also fueling people's loss of observational skills. Blaine silently thanked whatever God that had put alcohol into a high school party's drink. He screwed his eyes shut again and felt Kurt push to deepen the kiss. He gladly accepted the offer and felt Kurt's tongue immediately plunge deep inside of his mouth, caressing the roof of his mouth and sliding alongside his own tongue. Moaning deeply, Blaine gripped Kurt's hips almost harshly and slowly began to rock into them. Slowly, slowly and completely agonizingly, tantalizingly slow.

"I like your hair _much_ better like this," Kurt said seductively as he pulled his long, slender fingers through Blaine's freed curls.

Blaine shivered and fought to keep his knees form buckling. He gripped Kurt's hips tighter, almost afraid that he would leave bruises, but Kurt didn't say a thing. Blaine moaned in response to Kurt's words and touches and crashed his lips back against Kurt's, increasing the pressure of their slowly rocking hips. His fingers inched their way up, of their own accord, and gently slid underneath the hem of Kurt's bottle green tank top. He teased the impossibly soft skin with a reverence that he had never felt for another human being.

"I love you," Blaine almost whimpered as Kurt's nails dragged lightly down his spine, not stopping until they reached the swell of his ass, and then dragging back up again. He didn't care if the waver in his voice made him sound "un-manly" at this point; he only cared about the boy who was, by some miracle, clinging to him and encased securely in his arms.

Kurt, who had pulled back to allow them a moment to catch their breath, made a cry halfway between a whimper of despair and a breathy pant of longing. In a flash, he slammed his entire body into Blaine's and used the forward momentum to push Blaine out of the room whilst sealing their lips together. The slightly shorter brunette stumbled backwards with his hands groping anything Kurt: his shoulders, his face, his waist. He just couldn't get enough. He didn't know where they were going, or why, but to be honest, he had been having a hard time producing any coherent thoughts in the past 5 minutes.

Blaine felt his back press up against a wall and reasoned that Kurt must have pushed them out of the rehearsal room and down the hall some. The fact that the drone of the bass and the voices of the overly excited teenagers was a much quieter roar supported his theory. Now, the main sound was that of their hearts thumping in frantic patterns and their erratic breathing breaking the sounds of their moans and the movement of their lips.

"I love _you_," Kurt finally replied breathily, still kissing Blaine hungrily as he covered the slightly shorter boy's body entirely with his own.

The words, still new to them, sent a shock down his spine that landed in the pit of his stomach and sat so precariously that he felt like the butterflies were trying to make an escape; beating their wings wildly.

He understood Kurt's reaction to the words even better now as his body involuntarily let out an almost animalistic growl and had him flipping their bodies over, so that Kurt was now pressed against the wall. Blaine's body didn't stop there however. Before he either of them could register what he was doing, he had wrapped his strong arms around Kurt's legs, right underneath his ass, and hoisted him up against the wall. He moved forward to pin Kurt's body there and took a place between Kurt's legs as they wrapped securely around his waist. Kurt's hands fisted in his hair as he latched onto Kurt's neck and began a messy trail down to his collar bone.

Kurt's back arched and his legs clenched tightly around Blaine's mid-section, holding on as wave after wave of love and lust swept over him. It was enough to throw him overboard, but he held on, determined to experience as much of Blaine as he could.

"Nom, nom, nom!" Someone crowed from beside them.

They instantly stopped kissing but were too shocked to drop their position. Standing next to them, with a goofy grin was Wes, in all his drunk glory, holding a red plastic cup and swaying lightly on his feet.

"Nom, nom, nom!" he called again, as if they were down the hall and couldn't hear him. "He must taste r'lly good…" Wes slurred with a contemplative look overtaking his features.

Blaine lowered Kurt to the ground, whose eyes never left Wes. The boys stared at Wes with a mix of concern, amusement, and annoyance, considering he had interrupted some _pretty important stuff, _if they did say so their selves.

"I wond'r…" Wes asked quizzically, scrutinizing Kurt with squinted eyes, "I just…I wanna, just…can I-" Wes interrupted himself to lean forward suddenly and lick Kurt's face with a loud slurping sound effect.

When he pulled back his face was still a mask of confusion while Blaine was staring wide-eyed and hoping fervently that Kurt wasn't about to open up a can of whoop ass on Wes. Kurt stood stock still, seemingly frozen with disbelief.

"You taste like…lotion…and…rainbows…"

"Wes!" David called, jogging lightly over to them. He was obviously pretty intoxicated, but not nearly to the level that light weight Wes was.

"I thought we agreed to only taste Kurt once Blaine was done!" he sighed over exaggeratedly and rolled his eyes in a very melodramatic fashion.

"Taste me?" Kurt asked in an incredulous voice, still laced with shock and a hint of anger. "Uh, I'm sorry, _no, _I'm not a free sample at the grocery store, okay? I mean,_ seriously, _do I _look _like the Food Network?!"

Wes opened his mouth but Blaine decided to pity the poor Asian and advised him, "Don't answer that."

David nodded over enthusiastically and made himself a little dizzy. Once he righted his equilibrium, he gripped Wes' upper arm and began bouncing on his toes like a child on Christmas morning.

"Hey, Wes, let's go see how many chicken fingers we can fit in our mouths! There's still a whole platter in there!"

Wes' face lit up like someone had flipped a switch. He laced his fingers with David's and the two began to skip merrily down the hall, back to the party.

"I love you, dads!" Wes crowed over his shoulder, before finally disappearing into the throng of people in the packed rehearsal room.

Kurt and Blaine stood, staring after their strange friends in silence.

"Promise me that when we have kids, they won't be like that." Kurt deadpanned.

Blaine smiled wide at the mention of a future, but replied with, "Don't worry, we'll show them pictures of Wes from Space Camp 2 years ago, it's a good scare tactic. We won't even make it through the first five pictures before they decide that they want to be Wes' opposite."

Kurt smiled and shook his head with amusement.

"Listen," Kurt finally piped up, turning his gaze back to Blaine and blushing heavily when he saw how red and swollen his lips were from his kisses. "I'm going to go scrub my face, cause…well…Wes licked me, and since burning my face seems rather extreme and painful, I'm going to scrub it abrasively. I should be done in, oh, 2 years?"

Blaine chuckled lightly and squeezed his hand as he pulled away. "30 minutes?" Blaine asked with raised eyebrows.

"30 minutes." Kurt confirmed as he spun around to make his way back to his dorm.

Once the door to the building closed, Kurt found himself in an empty courtyard that echoed with peacefulness. The cool October air nipped at his nose as he pulled his black cardigan tighter around his torso.

He breathed deep to inhale the scent of the changing seasons and reveled in the silence since it was a Sunday, and most of the students who weren't at the party, had gone home for the weekend.

"Hey, Hummel. Miss me?"

Kurt froze. The voice echoed through the locker rooms of his mind and he felt his shoulders instantly tense.

No, he couldn't be at Dalton. Not here.

Kurt turned around to find his sanctuary punctured.

Karofsky's sneer grew as he took one step closer to the slight boy.

"I missed you."

**A/N: Oh snap! (I'm sorry, I just had a 'That's so Raven' moment…) Blaine's not expecting Kurt back for half an hour. A lot can happen in half an hour…dun, dun, dun! Review or PM me! Love you!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hey everyone! The billionth time, I want to thank all of you who are following me or my story, or favoriting or reviewing! It honestly brightens my day a little bit everyday it happens, so thank you! Alright, so I last left you with Karofsky showing up at Dalton, and he's got Kurt alone in the dark courtyard…uh-oh…Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 23**

It suddenly felt colder outside, like the temperature had plummeted from late fall into the dead of winter in a matter of seconds.

Kurt's mind was whirling a million miles a minute, but it kept getting stuck on the most important question he could muster: _How? _

Karofsky sneered rudely as he took a small step towards the frozen countertenor. "What? No bitchy comeback? No snarky comment?" He took another small step forward, "Don't tell me you've lost your fight?" his eyes glinted dangerously as the smirk remained locked on his lips; "I've always liked that about you…" he trailed off with his voice almost at a low purr.

Kurt's mind screamed for him to run. Sprint back to the dorms or the party or the library, just to get out of the dark, deserted courtyard. Somehow, his feet remained rooted in their spot, almost like they were trying to make him stand his ground even though his brain told them it was so not the time for bravery.

"How?" Kurt finally spluttered out, confusion creasing his brow.

Karofsky's eyes widened out of their predatory squint and the lopsided smirk on his face melted into an almost friendly smile. For a moment, he looked like a normal guy, not a seriously obsessed bully.

"How what?" he questioned, raising one eyebrow at Kurt's question.

"How did you get here? How did you know I was here? Why were you at Se-"

"-Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow your roll," Karofsky laughed, placing both of his hands palm up in front of him like he was trying to keep Kurt's words from hitting him as they spilled haphazardly from his mouth.

"Let's just say that your friend Jude is quite…friendly…" Karofsky suggested, offering Kurt a little tidbit of information.

Kurt's face immediately darkened; Jude and Karofsky sounded like a recipe for disaster in his book. "Jude is _not_ my friend." Kurt spat, surprised at his own potency.

"Ooo, there's that spark," Karofsky purred again, eyes once again darkening with lust; his thoughts refocused on Kurt.

He took a few swift strides forward and before he knew it, Kurt found the burly, bear-like boy bursting his personal bubble. The smell of sweat and dirt and cheeseburger's wafted over him and suddenly he was transported back to the locker rooms; the fear enclosed upon him and suddenly he was just another Lima Loser being pushed around without a soul to care about his battered body and broken soul. He felt the air whoosh out of his lungs and slam against the too-close chest of Karofsky as he looked hungrily down on him.

"It's so unfair," Karofsky mused slowly, dragging a calloused finger along Kurt's jawline as the slender boy noticeably stiffen with discomfort and anxiety. "you leaving to come to this…this…"his eyes darted around to the surrounding buildings of Dalton as he scoffed with disgust, "_place, _and leave me all alone at that hell hole called McKinley."

Finally finding his voice, Kurt finally asked with an incredulous voice, "You think its hell for _you? _How do you think I felt!?" The disbelief and anger boiling underneath slowly rising up inside him like an ocean tide.

"Oh, like you really cared!" Karofsky laughed. _He actually laughed_. "Walking around in those skin tight pants and flashy bowties!" He moved forward to grab Kurt's upper arms and yanked the slightly shorter boy up against his body, smirking down at him, his voice lowering to that scary seductive rumble once again. "You _loved _the attention. You were practically _begging _for me." He inched his face a fraction closer, eyes still trained on Kurt's. "Don't act like you don't want this." He whispered before lowering his face to skim his lips over Kurt's cheek.

Pesky tears began to prick his eyes like dozens of tiny needles as Kurt cursed the moisture that eventually leapt over the edge of his lower lid and slid down his face.

"No," he breathed as Karofsky slid his face over to Kurt's mouth, his lips positioned directly above Kurt's, descending all too quickly.

Kurt felt the unwanted pressure of rough, uncaring lips on his and he snapped; his tears evaporating faster than he thought possible. These lips were not Blaine's and he didn't have to just _let _this happen. No, he didn't have to stand by and be a victim; he had a choice to fight back. He was Blaine's and Blaine's only and no one else besides him had this right.

Pulling back immediately, Kurt jumped back, easily slipping from Karofsky's relaxed grip; he hadn't been expecting Kurt to suddenly move.

Karofsky looked dazed until Kurt's hand lashed out and slapped him straight across the face. The stinging on his cheek seemed to shake all the dazed surprise out of him though, and before Kurt could think to turn and run for some sort of safety, Karofsky lunged.

The heavy football player landed on top of Kurt with a thud, knocking all of the air out of him, and most definitely leaving some bruises.

Kurt immediately began clawing and calling for help. His calls were soon muffled however by a big meaty hand clamping over his mouth.

"You like it rough?" Karofsky asked, a sick edge of lust evident in his filthy voice. "I can do rough." He assured with completely dilated eyes. His mouth began working hard, open-mouthed kisses into the soft, vulnerable skin of Kurt's neck, leaving marks.

Despite the tears that had worked their way back into Kurt's eyes, he was still furious. He flailed as much as he could underneath the deadweight of Karofsky. He kicked at Karofsky's legs and his hands beat the Neanderthal's back, all to no avail. Trying to come up with a new plan of attack as he felt Karofsky's hand begin to travel down his chest, he was coming up heartbreakingly empty. _It can't happen like this, _Kurt thought frantically, _not like this!_

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, when all of a sudden he heard Karofsky yelp in surprise as he was pulled off of the ground roughly.

Kurt propped himself up on his elbows, not quite sure his legs would be able to support him yet, and stared into the darkness, trying to distinguish the other figure that was currently wrestling with his attacker.

A punch finally landed on Karofsky's face with a sickening crack, and the burly man doubled over, holding his nose and groaning in pain.

"How could you?!" The other shadow yelled in a pain laced voice.

Kurt's eye's widened when he recognized the voice: Jude.

"I invite you to this party, and you attack Kurt?!" Jude was beyond angry at this point. Kurt was sure that his face was a bright, angry red underneath all the darkness of night.

"Oh, shut up!" Karofsky demanded; the eye roll evident in his tone. "This isn't about you!"

"Like hell it isn't!" Jude screeched, his arms rose in exasperation. "You _knew _I like him! YOU KNEW!" He began to pace back and forth, running his hands through his hair as if he sincerely couldn't believe what had transpired. "And then you had to act all caring and sweet and…and…damnit Dave!"

He sighed almost brokenly shaking his head sadly and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.

The anger seemed to surge through his once more as he lunged at Karofsky again, coming chest to chest with the public school student. They were about the same height and their builds, while Jude was leaner and not as bulky, matched up to a fair fight.

"You don't deserve Kurt…or me…" he added, obviously trying to convince himself of the last part.

Karofsky smirked that evil little grin at Jude and looked him up and down almost leisurely. "Who would even want you?"

Jude's face remained a perfect mask of stiff resolve, not even wavering under Karofsky's insult. "Leave." He commanded firmly; his voice carrying all the authority of a king.

Karofsky seemed to mull the idea over in his head and took a step back; choosing to leave this battle behind.

"Whatever," he scoffed, still arrogant as ever.

He sauntered off. "See you later Hummel." He threw over his shoulder as he disappeared around a bend and into the awaiting darkness of the October night.

All was silent again. No screams or struggles or erratic heartbeats. Only the deep thrumming tension that lingered in the air as the two boys stayed absolutely still; not sure if they were supposed to move or if it was against the rules of traumatic and confusing aftermath. There wasn't exactly a handbook for these sorts of situations.

Kurt, realizing that he was still lying on his back on the ground, propped up on his elbow, stiffly stood, testing out his muscles and bones to examine the damage. His ribs hurt where Karofsky had crushed down on him with the weight of muscle and gravity. His neck felt disgusting as he felt slobbery bruises blossoming all over his porcelain skin. He forced his thoughts into a more linear path as he focused on the taller, dark haired boy who stood staring at the ground with his hands clenched into fists.

Kurt took a very tiny, tentative step forward. "Jude-"

"Don't," he interrupted, eyes never leaving the pavement of the walkway as he ground his teeth together in frustration. "Just…don't Ku-" but ended his name in a sigh of pain and exasperation, as if the name was too difficult to force through his lips; too painful.

Kurt stood still, not sure what his next move should be. Instead, he watched Jude with undying scrutiny, gaging his every minute movement; allowing Jude to choose the next step.

They stood together, several feet away from one another. Jude staring at the ground, body held in a rigid posture, Kurt staring at Jude, completely silent in waiting.

After a few minutes of silence, Jude let out a singular scoff and tilted his head back to stare at the sky, eyes shining with unshed tears. He shook his head and let a disgusted smile take over his face. "Who would want me?" he echoed Karofsky's words with bitterness and heartbreaking sadness behind it all.

And with that, Jude turned and walked away, leaving Kurt standing alone in the aftermath.

*~Line Break~*

*Meanwhile*

The party showed no signs of slowing down, as the music just got louder and louder and drinks kept flowing freely. It was a small miracle that the few members of faculty who had stayed for the weekend hadn't busted down their door by now. Thanking their lucky stars, the boys, and their new lady friends, partied on.

"Drink?" Wes asked, sloppily offering Blaine a cup filled to the brim with some odd concoction.

"Um, no thanks," Blaine laughed, still sipping his ginger ale. "Did you make that?" he asked, tilting his head in the direction of the cocktail Wes was still extending toward him hopefully.

Wes nodded hugely and grinned like a fool. "Mmhm! It's gotz vodka, lemonade, lemon wedges strawberry syrup, and cherries in it…and…and…well I don't remember!" He stopped there, obviously proud of his memory thus far.

"Wes, you're so blitzed that you probably cut one of your fingers off into it when you were cutting the lemon wedges." He laughed as Wes' eyes widened in horror.

He instantly dropped the cup and held his hands in front of his face, frantically searching for nubs. "No, God please! Why?!" He yelled, convinced that he was now an amputee. "I'm too young to be thumbless! Why cruel world, why!?"

"Dad, dad, help me!" he clutched at Blaine in a panicked state and then began laughing in a totally drunken state, eyes alight with joy for no apparent reason.

The laughing stopped as suddenly as it had begun as he quirked an eyebrow. "Hey, where's dad?"

Blaine's brow creased, thinking that Wes was still referring to him. His face slipped into realization as Wes clarified, "The tasty one." In a dead serious tone.

"Hmm…" Blaine wondered aloud, glancing at his phone for the time. It was after midnight and Kurt should have been back by now. He frowned slightly at the clock, wondering what was keeping his boyfriend.

"Excuse me," he mumbled distractedly to Wes, who was already gripping David's hand and making him twirl him around in a silly slow dance. Not like David seemed to mind; he was just as smashed as Wes and seemed to be enjoying the ridiculous flailing they were currently indulging in.

As Blaine began to edge through the crowd, he heard someone frantically calling his name. He craned his neck and desperately wished for the height he lacked. He spotted a flash of copper hair bobbing at the edge of the room, at the fringes of the mass of dancing teenagers. Blaine fought his way through the crowd until he nearly tripped into Calvin.

"Hey, Calvin, what's up?" he asked politely, a little taken aback by the look of worry on the freshman's face.

"Blaine, its Kurt." He rushed out, face flushed with the heat radiating from the party and the nervousness building in his gut.

Blaine's face instantly drained of all color as a shiver ran through his frame. "What's wrong? Is he okay?" He began to shuffle towards the door, not even knowing where he was going.

Calvin followed closely behind, trailed just half a pace behind him. "Karofsky was here."

_Well he's just dropping bomb after bomb, now isn't he? _Blaine thought.

Anger bubbled up inside of him instantly at the name of Kurt's tormentor. He felt his whole body stiffen and his jaw clenched in restraint. He wanted to punch something suddenly, purely because of the sound of one man's name.

"What?" Blaine said, voice drenched in malice, as he halted mid-step.

Calvin nearly collided into his back, but sidestepped just in time to stand in front of him and stand face to face with the curly headed Warbler.

"Listen, I was walking out of my dorm to get some food from the vending machines, late night study session," he clarified, "but anyways, I was leaving my dorm when Kurt walked by in a daze. I said hi, but he seemed really out of it so I asked if he was okay." Calvin hesitated here, trying to deliver the story in a less harsh way than he had at the beginning. He glanced up at Blaine who stood with rapt attention on the bookworm of a boy.

Taking a deep breath, Calvin pushed on. "He just shook his head and said, in a super eerily calm voice, that Karofsky was here and that Jude saved him and he was confused and he needed you." Calvin stopped and assessed Blaine's response.

Blaine was beyond confused. _Jude _saved him? And what did he mean _saved him? _What had Karofsky done? Blaine's stomach lurched painfully as he realized all that it could mean.

Nodding his thanks to Calvin, Blaine placed a hand on his shoulder and leveled him with a look of true camaraderie. "Thank you, Calvin, for finding me."

Calvin nodded back. He would have smiled if the circumstances had been better, but instead he settled for a nod of understanding and said, "He's in his room."

Blaine nodded once more and turned with stiff shoulders to jog back to Kurt's room.

*~Line Break~*

Blaine entered the dorm to find Kurt sitting on the edge of the bed rigidly, hands clasped in his lap, eyes on his tangled fingers. He didn't look up as Blaine shut the door quietly behind him with a soft click.

Blaine walked slowly over to his beloved and knelt down onto his knees in front of Kurt. He stared at the boy as he seemed to be trying to curl in on himself.

He tentatively reached out to hold Kurt's hands in between his own, pleased when he didn't pull back or flinch away.

They stayed in that position for a minute or two, neither of them saying anything; afraid to break the silence. Blaine began to rub small, soothing circles into the back of Kurt's hand, but other than that, they stayed still.

"He kissed me." Kurt finally whispered, tears filling his hollow voice.

Blaine aimed his large, expressive eyes at the large blue ones of his boyfriend. Compassion and sympathy swirled with the hurt in his hazel depths as he allowed Kurt to speak at his own pace.

"I told him no, but he didn't listen." He sniffed loudly and began to tremble slightly, lifting his gaze to rest on Blaine.

"And then, then, he was on_ top_ of me and his lips were, they were, on my _neck_ and my_ face_ and his hands were on my _chest_ and he was, he was, he was _everywhere!" _A sob escaped the boy who was now violently trembling. His breath was coming in frantic gasps and stutters as he looked around him as if he were bewildered. He was trapped in the memory, and couldn't get out.

Blaine's own eyes were streaming with tears now, automatically assuming the worse. "Kurt, no, no," he pleaded, gripping his boyfriends hands tightly and raising up to sit next to him on the bed. He released his hold on the countertenors hands to wrap his strong arms around the shaking boy and buried his face into the crook of Kurt's neck. Kurt immediately flinched when Blaine tried to nuzzle in closer. He pulled back confused, letting his arms fall to his sides limply. He looked at Kurt's creamy skin and saw that the perfection of his skin was now marred by deep purpling marks from the teeth of some crude man.

Blaine's heart lurched as Kurt continued to sob, still curling in on himself. He lightly brushed his fingers across the bruises and choked back his own sobs. "Oh, Kurt," he whimpered, nearly as broken by the experience as Kurt was, "Oh, baby, no," he denied the awful realization of reality.

"And then Jude showed up!" Kurt continued in exasperation, completely lost in question. He didn't know what to make of anything. It was all too much and all too confusing. "And he pulled him off…" he trailed off in wonder. His sobs quieting some as he remembered the cool, refreshing air that had surrounded him the moment Karofsky's meaty body had been hoisted off of him; the relief that had flooded his heart.

Blaine's eyes sharpened some as he heard of the rescue. Right now, he didn't care if he was supposed to hate his competition. He felt like ordering a muffin basket for the fellow Warbler at the moment.

"So, Karofsky didn't…he didn't…" Blaine whispered nervously.

"No," Kurt whispered back, "but he tried…" his damp eyes drifted down to his lap again until he felt Blaine's arms wind around him snuggly and pull him suddenly against his chest.

"Oh Kurt, oh thank God!" Blaine said on an exhale, running one of his hands through Kurt's hair over and over again. His breath came out in shaky relief and new tears fell down his cheeks.

Blaine held Kurt for an immeasurable amount of time, just letting the boy vent and recount little details of his attack. Blaine held on tight, riding the waves of emotion that lapped at the shores of his mind. He went from relief to bone-crushing anger to confusion and back to relief again. It was all horribly exhausting.

"I just don't know why Jude would save me when he himself has attacked me." Kurt mused for the fifth time, still bothered by the concept. "And why he said 'who would want me?' And how does he know Karofsky?!" Kurt's frustration was being to creep up again; he didn't like not understanding things.

"I don't know Kurt, I don't know," Blaine repeated, wishing that he had more information to offer.

Kurt huffed out a tired sigh and slouched away from Blaine, lying down on his bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Tired?" Blaine asked quietly, glancing at Kurt's fluttering eyelashes.

Kurt nodded faintly, eyes turning to glance at Blaine. His mouth turned up slightly into a gentle curve as he appraised Blaine. "Thank you for coming." He whispered.

Blaine lay down next to the chestnut haired boy, and brushed some loose strands off of the man's forehead. Smiling softly, Blaine leaned forward and pressed a sweet and simple kiss gently on the tip of Kurt's nose. "Always will." He told him as if it weren't even a topic for discussion; he would always come, no matter what, period, end of discussion.

Kurt's breathing eventually evened out as he eyes closed into a fretful sleep. Almost immediately he began whimpering and twitching, obviously in distress.

Not knowing what else to do, Blaine carefully scooted closer to Kurt and wrapped him securely in his arms and cradled him against his broad chest. Gazing down at the boy in his arms, Blaine watched as his face smoothed out and the nightmares began to peter out.

_Be still and know that I'm with you_

_Be still and know that I am here_

_Be still and know that I'm with you_

_Be still, be still, and know_

He sang softly, not wanting to wake the exhausted boy snuggling into him. He felt his love fill his entire body and tug at his heart in a way he didn't think was possible.

_When darkness comes upon you_

_And covers you with fear and shame_

_Be still and know that I'm with you_

_And I will say your name_

He knew that Kurt was it for him. He also knew that it was way too soon to know this sort of thing, but , as a Disney fanatic, he couldn't deny the possibility of love at first sight. He held on to the crazy notion that he and Kurt were somehow destined to be together, and tried not to scoff at himself when he noticed how much like a pre-teen girl he sounded like. The love was true, it was real, and it was there. Always had been, always would be.

_If terror falls upon your bed_

_And sleep no longer comes_

_Remember all the words I said_

_Be still, be still, and know_

He held the boy closer to his chest, willing all of the bad dreams away.

_And when you go through the valley_

_And the shadow comes down from the hill_

_If morning never comes to be_

_Be still, be still, be still_

_If you forget the way to go_

_And lose where you came from_

_If no one is standing beside you_

_Be still and know I am_

He thought of the promise he had made Kurt: To always come to him when he called. And Blaine always knew that he would. If it was even within the realm of possibility, Blaine would be there. He would never abandon Kurt: the love of his life.

_Be still and know that I'm with you_

_Be still and know I am_

He continued to softly stroke Kurt's hair and breath in the scent of his own little miracle. _Man, I've got it _BAD, Blaine admitted to himself with no regret or shame what so ever.

How could he when Kurt nuzzled into his neck and murmured in his sleep, "I love you, Blaine…"?

"Always?" Blaine whispered back, not knowing what he was expecting from the sleeping boy curled into his side.

Kurt rolled on top of him, effectively pinning him down.

And that was answer enough.

**A/N: So, the song in here is 'Be Still' by The Fray. It's an absolutely beautiful song and I adore it, so check it out. I always thought that it made a good lullaby. Also, it had been a little while since I had put a song in a chapter, so I felt that we were long overdue : ) Please review or PM me! Love you guys! **


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hey everybody! It's feels like it's been eons since I've given you a chapter! Thanks for waiting and continuing to read and favorite and review and follow and all that stuff that makes me feel happy inside! Some other good news is that I have a long weekend from school and I only have to work one 6 hour shift on Saturday, but other than that, I'm free! I'm hoping to give you one or two more chapters this weekend! Huzzah! Now, this chapter was really just a 'For Fun' chapter to get me back into the swing of writing, since it's been a couple days! It's mainly just fluff, but it's raining outside and I'm wearing fuzzy socks and I'm super cozy so I just had to write some fluff! You know how it is : )! Anyways, as always, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 24**

The room was still swathed in a heavy blanket of darkness when Kurt awoke. He took a deep breath through his nose and was instantly greeted by the wonderful scent of Blaine. His eyes inched open to find that the solid form he was resting on top of was not a mattress, but his adorable boyfriend, who was sleeping with a small smile gracing his lips. Kurt could feel his muscular arms wrapped around his waist tightly and the small puffs of breath hitting his forehead.

He shifted his head to prop his chin on top of Blaine's pecs and gaze at the man he loved; arms still slung lightly around his neck with his fingers nestled loosely in the curls at the nape of his neck.

Blaine looked so peaceful as he slept; he looked so young. Kurt smiled gently and tried to shift off of Blaine; he felt bad for smothering the poor guy by completely laying on top of him. But as Kurt tried to shift away, Blaine let out a whine of desperation and locked Kurt in place with an iron grip. He faintly heard Blaine whimper, "stay," so quietly that he wasn't even sure if it was words or just a small sigh, but it held such panic and fear that it froze the slender boy in his place. Kurt gasped at not only the sheer strength Blaine possessed, but the absolutely amazing feeling of being needed.

Kurt had never felt needed. He had very rarely even felt _wanted. _Now, in this room, in a boarding school he hadn't even known existed a year ago, he was in the arms of a drop-dead gorgeous man who he was head over heels in love with. And the most amazing part of this entire scenario, was that this man loved him back; he needed Kurt. Even in sleep, he clung to Kurt like a lifeline. He sought out his warmth; not just in body, but the warmth of his soul. He wrapped his body around Kurt to protect and be protected. They were equals in this, for they each needed one another like they hadn't believed was possible.

And Kurt _did _need Blaine. It terrified him to know that in such a short span of time, he was utterly dependent upon the short, curly headed boy. He felt tears begin to pool in his eyes as he gazed down at the happy face of the man gripping him desperately. It was all just too good to be true. This couldn't be the life that he got to live, it just couldn't be; it was too good.

"I love you." Kurt whispered, dropping his head as the tears began to leak out of the corners of his eyes.

He buried his face into the crook of Blaine's neck and inhaled time and time again, just to fill his lungs with nothing but the scent of Blaine; to be completely surrounded by the feel of his boyfriend.

"I love _you_." Blaine replied suddenly; fatigue lacing his voice heavily, but very much awake.

Kurt felt his head snap up in response. His melting ice eyes were met with the melting amber of Blaine's eyes and he didn't dare rip his gaze away. He reached up to put a hand on either side of Blaine's face, and dragged his body up a little further to rest his forehead against his love's. He didn't say anything; he simply watched as the boy beneath him smiled contently and watched him right back.

After a few minutes of silence, Blaine reached up and ran the back of his hand along Kurt's cheek, caressing him softly. Kurt leaned into the touch slightly, wishing that this moment could last forever.

"I love you," Blaine repeated, yet this time, it was so quiet that Kurt had to strain to hear. "I-I love you so much, baby," Blaine continued, tears causing his eyes to spark even more than usual and his breath to hitch and stutter. He shook his head in a daze, almost like he couldn't believe that he could really feel this deeply. "You're just…God, I don't even know! You're _everything_! I can't imagine ever needing anything more than you, because there _isn't _anything _more _than you!" He spoke passionately, but his voice still stayed intensely quiet. "Love, please, just, please, trust me! Trust me to love you and try my best not to hurt you. Trust me." He pleaded, eyes glistening with a sheen of tears as he searched Kurt's eyes for understanding. "Trust me, Kurt. Believe me when I tell you _I love you, _because I do, love, I really do." The tears finally spilled over and fell slowly down Blaine's face; tracing out his story of desperation.

Kurt's eyes hadn't left Blaine since they had opened, and now the only thing getting in his way of the image of his beloved, was his tears. He thought of all the things he wanted to say. From overly verbose affirmations of his trust in Blaine to declaring his undying love in a myriad of flowery worded epitaphs, some even including songs, but he decided that this moment didn't need to be bogged down with his clumsy words; this moment needed emotion and clarity.

"Okay," Kurt whispered back, wiping the tears off of Blaine's cheeks and nodding his head jerkily, "I trust you." He looked Blaine square in the eyes as he said those all-important words.

Kurt felt Blaine relax the tiniest fraction underneath him, and nod his head, closing his eyes to revel in the feel of Kurt's words; allowing them to sink in and manifest themselves in his heart, allowing himself to believe them.

Deciding that he didn't need to be crushing Blaine anymore, Kurt gently rolled off of Blaine and landed beside him. Blaine's eyes widened slightly as he felt Kurt's form pulling away. Reaching after him frantically, he quickly fitted his body against Kurt's side as he assumed his new position.

Kurt chuckled a little huskily, voice still deep with sleep, "Cuddle whore," he teased, nuzzling Blaine's hair affectionately.

Blaine chuckled back, the tension slowly and easily draining away from the room. "What can I say, you're comfy." He shrugged as if it were completely obvious.

"Except for when I'm nailing you to the bed by laying on top of you," Kurt joked, twisting his face into a small look of distaste and apology, "Sorry about that."

Blaine chuckled and kissed Kurt on the nose. "Are you kidding me? Why would I ever complain when I get to wake up to an incredibly sexy man lying on top of me?" He raised a single triangular eyebrow, just daring Kurt to refute the use of the word _sexy _in reference to him. When Kurt only rolled his eyes and blushed a little, Blaine smiled slightly and added, "plus, Kurt, you seriously weigh about 10 pounds," he poked Kurt playfully in the side, "we're going to have to fix that."

"If you think that I'll start eating like you, then you can keep on dreaming, honey." Kurt said in a sassy voice.

"Okay, Mercedes." Blaine giggled teasingly, mocking his sudden sassiness.

They chatted aimlessly for the next hour until they realized it was only four in the morning. They settled back into the covers, eager to catch some much needed sleep.

*~Line Break~*

After filling in the rest of their friends to the happenings of the previous night, the general consensus was to forget that it had ever happened. Kurt was fairly certain that Karofsky wouldn't be bothering him anymore, even if he had said _see you later. _Blaine, on the other hand, was fairly certain that if Karofsky showed up again, he would be right by Kurt's side (since he was determined to never leave it again, ever) and would just beat the hell out of Karofsky. Problem solved.

After the surprise of yesterday, things had remarkably fallen right back into the normal swing of things, and the school portion of their Monday passed quickly.

"Are you sure it was me?" Wes asked, continually rubbing a hand on his forehead, trying to rub the headache of his hangover away.

"One doesn't typically forget the person who licks their face like a lollipop." Kurt answered with complete seriousness.

Kurt was sitting with Wes and David in their dorm room going through their homework and trying their hardest to actually complete some of it. So far they hadn't even made a dent.

Wes seemed to contemplate Kurt's words and then nodded his head thoughtfully. "I guess that's true…" he trailed off, still staring into space.

"What about me?" David asked with an eager glint in his eyes as he bounced slightly from his seat on the bed.

"I don't think you did anything more than dance like an utter fool." Kurt answered, smiling a little at David's "dance moves".

"That's it!?" David complained, obviously disappointed in the lack of drunken antics he had performed.

Kurt nodded sympathetically as the door flew open to reveal a terribly excited Blaine and Jeff. Both boys were wearing thick winter clothing as if they were preparing for a blizzard.

"Everyone!" Jeff announced, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "IT'S TIME!"

Wes and David instantly dropped their books and dismal attitudes as a look of shock and elation crashed onto their faces.

As if operating off of a single brain, they leapt for the closet and began unearthing large, puffy winter coats and gloves and things of that nature.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked curiously as Blaine grabbed his hand and began pulling him out of the room.

"It's snowing," he began, still tugging Kurt through the halls, jogging lightly with excitement. They finally reached Kurt's dorm room and Blaine threw the door open, pulling Kurt with him and slamming the door shut.

"Every year, when Dalton gets its first significant snow, we have a huge snowball fight." Blaine's eyes shone with excitement as he, no doubt, relived many precious memories of years passed. "It's incredible Kurt," he continued, flinging Kurt's closet open and stopping abruptly, knowing that if he wanted to keep all of his fingers, it would be in his best interest to _not _touch a single thread of Kurt's clothing. "We make _huge _forts and it lasts for hours and it's just…just…magical…" he actually sighed as he said the last word.

Kurt rolled his eyes, but began searching for his warmest clothes. He pulled out an indigo blue sweater and a black pea coat that was the thickest he owned. He also pulled out some boots that would handle the snow well as well as waterproof gloves and a thick, cream colored scarf.

Blaine paced eagerly by the door, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, an ever present smile never wavering from his lips. Kurt couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.

As Kurt began slipping his current shirt off to reveal his undershirt, Blaine decided that Kurt could use some help. _Just want to get to the game sooner, _Blaine tried to justify, but even he knew that that reason wasn't strong enough.

Blaine rushed over to yank the shirt over Kurt's head and gently tug the new sweater over his boyfriends pale skin. The indigo blue was so rich next to his porcelain skin that Blaine paused, for the first time all afternoon and just looked. In a flash, Blaine regained his movement, but this time his focus had shifted.

He leaned in to place a few kisses into Kurt's neck, admiring the smooth perfection of Kurt's flawless skin.

Kurt sighed happily. "I think I like this game even more," he chuckled as he felt Blaine groan just a little in response.

Blaine's urgency was completely shifted away from the snowball fight now; completely forgetting that there was snow in the first place.

After the discussion they had had in the early morning hours while wrapped in the sensation of one another, something had shifted. This was no longer an immature, teenage fling. It was validated. It was as though their little talk had confirmed the intensity and devotion of their young love. Young, though it may be, didn't change the fact that it was love all the same.

With those thoughts circulating his mind, Blaine attached his mouth to Kurt's urgently and gripped at the hem of the sweater that had just been put on. He suddenly regretting helping Kurt put more clothes on and quickly resolved the problem by removing the offensive article of clothing.

Kurt moaned lightly at Blaine's spontaneity as he felt himself being sucked into the feeling of the moment. He ripped the scarf off of Blaine's neck and threw it away from them with little care for the accessory, which was rare for him. Without pause, he quickly began unbuttoning Blaine's coat and shoved it off of his shoulders as soon as possible.

Unable to bear the distance of their bodies anymore, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hips and smashed their bodies together desperately; searching for the feel of closeness they had felt that morning.

"Blaine," Kurt whined, hands roaming freely before settling in his hair and tugging lightly. "Bed, now."

Blaine didn't even have time to think about all those words implied, all he could think was _Yes, yes, oh please, yes, I love you. _Instead of trying to moan out a verbal reply, Blaine just clutched at Kurt and began backing up towards the bed. When his knees touched the edge of the bed he allowed himself to fall back onto the plush surface, pulling Kurt with him.

Kurt giggled as he was once again on top of Blaine, in his bed. His giggled turned to a gasp though when he felt Blaine's warms fingers begin to inch underneath his undershirt and caress the skin of his stomach teasingly.

A loud knock sounded on the door, causing them to spring apart and their heads to whip towards the door.

"Come _on, _guys, the snows going to melt if you don't hurry it up!" They heard Jeff scurry away after that, and returned their gaze to each other.

"We will continue this later." Kurt stated as he rolled off of Blaine and began throwing his clothes on.

"Promise?" Blaine asked teasingly, still lounging on the bed and enjoying the view of his boyfriend.

Kurt stopped suddenly and leveled Blaine a gaze that said it all:

_Yes, I promise._

**A/N: I'm thinking of writing the snowball fight for the beginning of the next chapter; what do you think? Yes? No? Maybe so? I think it could be fun. Just imagine it: Wes and David acting completely ridiculous, quoting action movies and trying their hardest to "defend the kingdom"…could be good stuff lol! Please review or PM me! Love you all!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hi everybody! I want to thank everyone who is reading and following and favoring and reviewing and all that good stuff (yes, again, I'm going to thank you again)! I'm getting pretty close to 100 reviews, so let's make it happen people! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! I didn't really know what I was going to do going into it, so I just let the story happen and flow as it wanted to, which I always find to be the most enjoyable! So, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 25**

"FOR NARNIA!" Wes bellowed with the strength of a king before launching the first of many snowballs straight into the heart of the opposing "kingdom's" fort.

Snowballs began hurling across no-man's land into any warm bodied creature it could find.

"Blaine, Nick," David yelled over the cacophony of the battle, "I'm putting you two on manufacturing duty, at least for the beginning."

They nodded their agreement as their group stood in a loose huddle, awaiting instructions.

"Jeff," Wes chimed in, "I want you with David and I, assisting the rest of our troops in throwing. And Kurt," Wes finally looked toward the countertenor with a heavy look filled with meaning. "Kurt, we need you to act as bait."

"What?! No way!" Blaine piped up, looking appalled at the very suggestion.

"Listen, just hear me out," Wes rushed forward, holding his hands out with his palms forward. "we need him to _appear _to be vulnerable and distracted so that the other team's players will want to target him."

"As they zero in on him, we'll zero in on them; pick them off one by one." David jumped in, grinning slightly, like the genius of the plan was just too great to completely contain.

Wes nodded enthusiastically, but took note of Blaine's angry countenance. "Look Blaine, Kurt will only _look _vulnerable. In reality, we'll be watching him like a hawk. I swear to you, no snow shall hit that boy, or my name isn't King Wesley the Fantastically Gorgeous and Courageous the fourth."

"…That _isn't_ your name…" Nick mumbled under his breath.

"Trust me Blaine, it's a good plan." Wes continued as if Nick had never spoken a word.

Blaine leveled Wes with a skeptical glare when Kurt finally cleared his throat to gain the attention of his fellow Warblers.

"I'm in." Kurt said simply, voice laden with a thick determination.

"But Kurt-" Blaine spluttered.

"Blaine," Kurt said, eyes filled with a magnetism they had never possessed before, "it's what's right."

They shared a long look; communicating with their eyes and nothing else. Finally, Blaine sighed and gave a stiff nod; relenting to Kurt's wishes.

Wes clapped once and smiled, "Alright then, good luck everyone!" he sobered up some and looked around the group with an expression that was filled with pride. "For the kingdom, guys…for the kingdom."

They all nodded with a look of understanding and began to walk towards their respective posts.

"Kurt!" Blaine said before the blue eyed boy could take even one step.

Kurt hardly had time to turn his head to locate the source of the call when Blaine's lips were crashed into his in a passionate, frantic kiss. Blaine's hands were holding the sides of his face and rendered him completely incapable of coherent thought. Not that he was complaining.

All too soon, Blaine broke the kiss and pulled his face back a few inches.

"Be careful, Kurt," he said in a low, intense voice, "I can't lose you," he said, voice beginning to break under the weight of his emotion, "I just can't."

Kurt gripped the wrists of the hands still cradling his face. With tears in his eyes, Kurt whispered fervently, "I love you, Blaine, and I promise, I will come back for you."

Blaine nodded one stiff nod and finally released his hold on Kurt. They each took a few steps away from each other and turned back, as if on cue. Stretching an arm across the ever-increasing space between them, reaching out to one another, the boys gazed at each other longingly. Blaine reluctantly brought his hand back and bit his fist, as if trying to hold in the tears brewing inside of his eyes.

At long last, Blaine and Kurt turned away from one another to walk away with their respective groups; Blaine with Nick, and Kurt with Jeff, David, and Wes.

As soon as Blaine's back was turned on Kurt and his group, he wiped the crocodile tears from his eyes and rolled the hazel orbs in disbelief. Nick laughed as quietly as he could, not wanting to alert Wes to the ruse.

"Oh man, Blaine," Nick gasped out, "you guys really laid it on thick there!"

Blaine laughed a little too, really not _that _annoyed about having to bust out his acting chops. "I was worried that Wes would sense something fishy about the charade, but, true to Wes fashion, he _honestly _believes that we all take this as seriously as he does." Blaine chuckled lightly once more and shook his head as they began to pack snowballs; observing the "carnage" of the front lines from a safe distance.

"It's actually sort of nice of us, isn't it?" Nick mused merrily, smiling his wide, perfectly white, toothy grin. "Pretending for Wes' sake?"

"I guess," Blaine shrugged, "he just gets really into it..."

"_REALLY _into it." They both emphasized together, before breaking into matching grins and giggles.

They worked in companionable silence for a while, tightly packing snowball after snowball.

Blaine allowed his eyes to survey the all-out annual snowball war that was unfolding in front of him. He saw Jeff genuinely enjoying getting to use that pitching arm of his; cranking out lethal shot after lethal shot. He saw Wes gallivanting throughout the trenches he was slowly building and lobbing the occasional snowball over into enemy territory. However, he was fairly certain that the battle cry was from David, who he was also pretty sure, didn't have to try as hard as the rest of them to pretend to take this so seriously, as he followed right alongside Wes. Then he saw Kurt, gracefully running and leaping around no-man's land to garner the attention of the opposing team, before ducking behind their fort right as an arsenal of snow was aimed at him, but ultimately missed when it hit the fort instead of the slender man.

Blaine didn't even realize that he was staring with a goofy smile on his face until he heard Nick chuckle lightly beside him and say, "I wish you could see your face right now."

Blaine blushed lightly beneath his already rosy cheeks and turned his eyes down bashfully.

"Oh, don't even try to hide it." Nick teased, "first off, it's adorable. There's nothing wrong with being head over heels for your boyfriend. Secondly, you suck at hiding it, so don't even try it."

"He's just so adorable," Blaine conceded, shrugging lightly.

It was quiet for a few loaded seconds before Nick scoffed a little and raised an eyebrow sassily at Blaine. "Oh please! I know you want to say more, so just say it!"

Blaine searched his eyes warily, and saw that he really _did _know. Letting out a large sigh, Blaine looked Nick directly in the eyes. "Okay, yes, he's not just adorable. I love how he's smiling right now and laughing and genuinely enjoying himself, because someone as beautiful as him deserves this sort of happiness all of the time. I love how his cheeks are a gorgeous rosy color right now; it looks incredible against his flawless porcelain skin. And I love how he totally caught on to my little act back there for Wes. He just _gets _me, you know?"

Nick's eye's had drifted over to Jeff as Blaine spoke. "Yeah, I do." Nick said, finally shifting his eyes back to Blaine with a smile on his face.

Blaine smiled back, because Nick really did understand.

"What about you?" Blaine asked playfully, glancing between Nick and Jeff, "did you want to say anything?"

Nick smiled, trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably. "Oh, I don't know," he teased before rushing ahead. "I love how competitive Jeff gets. He always says he isn't the competitive type until he's competing and them, _bam! _He's all about the win. But he isn't a sore loser, which I find so refreshing. And I love how strong he is. I mean, have you seen the power behind his pitch? I'm surprised his snowballs aren't breaking bones!"

Blaine chuckled as Nick sighed contently.

"You know, you guys are great together." Blaine offered, being completely truthful. He gave his next sentence a moment of real thought before deciding to share it with Nick. Deciding that he really did believe it, he said, "I can see you guys getting married someday."

Nick froze in mid-snowball build before his head jerked up to reveal a devastatingly red blush and a face-splitting grin. Not even bothering to try and hide his excitement at Blaine's admission, Nick dropped the snowball he was working on to bounce over to Blaine and throw his arms around the shorter man.

"Thank you," he whispered fervently to Blaine, so much hope and gratitude swimming in his voice.

Blaine chuckled a little, but patted Nick on the back solidly; happy to have made his friend so blissful. "It's the truth," he stated simply.

Nick pulled away from Blaine's embrace after a few more moments and placed his hands on his shoulders to hold him at arm's length. "Well, if we're being truthful, then, and I hope this doesn't scare you, because I know you haven't been dating that long yet," Nick added quickly, "but I think you and Kurt could be the real deal. I can see you guys being together for a _long_ time."

Blaine froze, like Nick had, and instantly, his mind was wandering through so many different possibilities. He saw himself and Kurt graduating from high school together next year, clad in their Dalton uniforms for the last time. Kurt whispered something about burning the hideous blazer and Blaine laughed as he tugged Kurt into his side and stretched up slightly to plant a sweet kiss on the slightly taller boy's cheek. The settings swirled into darkness, only to reemerge as an apartment. They sat on a couch in a small New York City apartment, studying in peaceful silence. Kurt stood to grab the coffee pot from the kitchen and walked back into the living room to refill each of their coffee cups on the table and, after returning the coffee pot to the kitchen, he settled back on the couch with his legs stretched out over Blaine's lap. Once again, the background faded out of focus and came back as a Thanksgiving a few years later. They sat at the packed table with Burt and Carole, who had a few more lines on their faces, but even those looked like they had been caused from smiling too much and not age. Finn and Rachel were chasing a small boy around the house that had Rachel's brown eyes and Finn's smile. Kurt was scolding his father for all the cholesterol laden food he had stacked on his plate. Blaine just saw the older version of himself chuckle, with the same twinkle of love in his eyes. It hadn't dulled even a little. In fact, it seemed intensified. He saw his hand reach out to pat the back of Kurt's hand and saw the little matching bands of metal wrapped around their left ring fingers. Kurt turned towards him and shot him a private smile so filled with love that Blaine almost felt like he was intruding on a private moment in his own thoughts.

The flashes came faster and faster: Watching Kurt at his Broadway debut. Kurt's hand caressing him softly in the darkness of their own bedroom in their own home. Walking hand in hand through Central Park, wrinkled hands clasped tight as their old joints complained at the strain of moving. Finally watching 'The Sound of Music' all the way through.

His mind whipped through the scenarios fast as lighting, although to Blaine, it felt as though he had just traversed a whole lifetime; a beautiful life that he very much wanted to live. In reality though, he was still in high school, having a snowball fight, with the boy he loved off in the distance and had only paused for about 2 seconds. Except now, after that short span of time, everything had shifted. He was now in high school, having a snowball fight, with _the love of his life _off in the distance and had only paused for about 2 seconds.

Blaine felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him and he had been given the sharpest dose of love one could imagine. This love was so much bigger than he was; it was so much bigger than everything else. This love was what love should be, and of that he was certain.

Overwhelmed, as he often was by his feelings for Kurt, Blaine finally blinked and felt his rigid body relax just enough to fling his arms around Nick, like that boy had done to him only a few minutes ago.

He understood why Nick had responded the way he did. He needed something to grab onto; something to keep him from floating away with this incredible lightness that was coursing through him at the moment. He needed something to keep him grounded. He held on for dear life and didn't even try to process the swell of emotions building up in him. He knew it would be useless to try and add adjectives to his love because the words he had weren't powerful enough and the words he needed just simply didn't exist.

_I love him, _Blaine realized, not for the first time, _and I want him forever. I want to marry him someday. He's the love of my life. _Blaine reveled in that thought, but left it at that, determined to not over-analyze.

"Thank you." He murmured into Nick's shoulder, voice course with emotion.

Nick patted his back soothingly. He understood; he'd been there. "It's the truth." He repeated Blaine's words from earlier.

When Blaine's trembling subsided some, Nick released him with a grin and they returned to packing the snow into compact little balls in a peaceful silence.

*~Line Break~*

"David! David, stay with me buddy!" Wes was kneeling next to David, who was lying on the ground.

Frantically pulling the "injured" boy into his lap, Wes continued to yell. "Come on, David, don't do this to me! You can't do this to me!"

David reached a shaky hand up to clasp Wes's collar weakly. "Wes…" he spluttered. "Defend the…kingdom…"

Wes let a tear or two or seventeen fall onto David's coat and removed the "dying" boy's hand from his collar to grip it soundly in one of his gloved hands. "Always," he whispered in a choked whimper, "Always…"

David nodded contently and then exhaled sharply before his eyes glazed over and lost focus.

"No…no…David?" Wes asked, already knowing that his friend was gone. "David?! Please, David! No, no, no!" he shook his head frantically, searching for the rise and fall of his friend's chest.

But it just wasn't there.

"Guys, we won!" Kurt sang, interrupting Wes' open sobbing.

"What?" Wes asked in a dazed voice; the words not quite breaking through his fog of anguish.

"We won!" Kurt repeated happily.

"Nice! Third year in a row!" David chimed, automatically hopping up from his limp position into one of standing, brushing the snow from his pants.

"_You're alive!?_" Wes cried in disbelief.

"Oh, uh, yeah," David tacked on distractedly before turning back to Kurt, "How did we win?"

"…uhhh…" Kurt shot a glance over to the opposing team's fort. David followed his glance to find the enemy snow fort on fire.

"…uh...I-uh...how?" David asked quietly, completely bewildered.

Kurt just shook his head, "yeah, I don't know…"

David nodded slowly before shrugging and smiling at Kurt. "Hot chocolate?"

"That sounds fantastic," Kurt sighed as he and David began to walk back to the Warbler's common room, "I can't feel my fingers and I didn't even touch a single snowball in the past 2 hours!" Kurt laughed joyously.

Wes stood rooted in his place, obviously weighing the probability of ghosts as he stared after David.

"Every year, man, every year!" Wes finally shouted after them, finding his voice. "You have got to quit doing that!" He added before jogging after them.

*~Line Break~*

The Warbler's common room was cozy and warm with the fireplace roaring and mugs of hot chocolate firmly gripped in every boy's hands.

Wes was passed out on the floor from sheer exhaustion while David sat by the fire, staring into it absentmindedly, obviously very close to dozing off as well.

Nick and Jeff had taken their mugs of hot chocolate to go and had retreated to Nick's dorm to enjoy the remainder of their Monday snow day.

Kurt and Blaine had decided to occupy the couch in the common room and enjoy the warmth of the fire. Blaine was reclined into the corner of the sofa with Kurt sitting between his legs, leaning back against his chest. Blaine had also wrapped his arms around Kurt's chest, tugging him in as close as he could. He was practically purring with pleasure as Kurt let his head fall back to snuggle in under Blaine's chin and traced random patterns on his forearm lightly.

They sat in silence, just enjoying the closeness and the quiet after 2 hours of warfare. The warmth of the room and the fire helped to relax their muscles and droop their eyelids.

"I love you," Kurt said sleepily, flipping over onto his stomach so he facing Blaine and rested his head on Blaine's chest, and began tracing small patterns on his sides with the tips of his fingers.

Blaine gripped him tighter and felt a lazy smile spread across his face. "I love you too, baby."

No extra words were needed; not right now. Right now, everything was pretty darn perfect.

They fell into a blissful silence once more and were so close to falling asleep in each other's arms when Kurt's phone began to vibrate in his pocket noisily.

Letting out a small sigh, Kurt twisted to pluck his phone from his pocket, and answered without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" he asked, voice still slow and sleepy.

"Kurt?" Calvin sniffed, voice sounding so meek and small that Kurt instantly sat up.

"Calvin? Is something wrong? What's wrong?" he felt the fear creeping into his voice but fought it back vehemently. _Calvin came to you, _Kurt reminded himself, _you need to be strong._

"Kurt," he said in a small sob before taking a deep breathing and continuing, "I'm really sorry if I'm being a bother, but I need your help. My dad, he…he sort of…freaked out…" Calvin bite back another sob, but wasn't too successful.

"Calvin, where are you? I'm coming to get you?" Kurt felt the blood turning to ice in his veins; all the warmth in the room seeping out through the cracks in the walls and the borders of the windows.

"I'm at some bus stop at the corner of 2nd street and Walton at the edge of Westerville, I think."

"Okay, I think I know where you are. Blaine and I will be there as soon as we can, just sit tight."

"Kurt," Calvin choked up, apparently giving up on trying to act like all was fine, "please hurry…it hurts…"

Kurt's breathing quickened as he heard the call disconnect. He turned his frantic gaze to Blaine who was staring at him with open curiosity and worry.

"We need to go. Calvin needs us. Something happened." He stood up quickly and pulled Blaine with him, practically sprinting for his room to collect his wallet and car keys.

Blaine didn't ask any questions- just followed. Almost too scared to ask what was going on.

**A/N: Alright, so next chapter, the rescue and recovery of our little Calvin. Plus, I'm thinking it's time to have a little bit more Burt in here, so he might make an appearance next chapter! I always love hearing from you guys, so feel free to write a review or send me a PM! Love you all!**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hey everyone! Is it just me, or does it feel like it's been freaking forever since I posted a chapter?! School just sort of became this big time suck and I wanted to give you a decent sized chapter, so it took a little longer than normal! Thanks to all of you who continue to read and review and favorite and follow even though I don't get to post nearly as often as I would like to. I hope it was worth the wait! Enjoy!**

**P.S. I may be being a tad paranoid, but this chapter might have a few more adult things in it than my previous chapters, so it could maybe, possibly, sorta, kinda, be rated a little bit more towards the M side of things. Just thought I'd let you know.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 26**

When Kurt finally found the bus stop he had been looking for, the skies were mostly dark and the air had chilled considerably. Any breeze seemed to slide right over the snow and drop about 15 degrees before slamming into your body with a biting sting.

His eyes scanned the bus stop urgently to pick out the figure of his petit ginger friend. Kurt was beginning to panic when he saw a little glimmer of copper catch his eyes from the fringes of the shadows of the street lamp.

Calvin had nestled himself on a bench separate from the bus stop, back a dozen feet or so, on a bench that was placed among the trees, no doubt tired of the looks people were shooting him. Not that Kurt could blame them.

As he and Blaine drew nearer to the freshman, he quickly noticed a dark purple bruise swelling around his eye. His lip was cut a few times and had bled significantly if the red stain on his lips was any indication. On top of the physical injuries, Calvin looked absolutely exhausted. His hair was sticking up even more wildly than usual and his eyes seemed to have lost some of their sparkle.

As soon as Kurt and Blaine were within hearing distance, Calvin shot up out of his rigid posture and launched himself at Kurt, clinging on desperately as another round of tears began to pour down his face.

Kurt gripped him back just as tightly and rocked him slowly back and forth. "Shh, shh, it's okay Calvin, I'm here, it's okay." He soothed.

Calvin just nestled in closer, seemingly trying to shut the world out.

Not entirely knowing how he was supposed to react, Kurt just held Calvin and swayed gently back and forth, praying that he found it comforting. He could feel Blaine's hand rubbing soothing circles into his back as he gazed down at Calvin with concern painting his features.

After what felt like a very long time, Calvin peeled himself off of Kurt and slid his fingers under his eyes, trying to wipe away the tears. Kurt grabbed those fingers before they fell back to his sides and gently tugged Calvin towards the bench he had occupied earlier. Blaine followed closely; keeping a reassuring hand on the small of Kurt's back, still remaining silent.

"Calvin," Kurt addressed the small boy, keeping their gazes and hands locked together, "what happened?"

He instantly saw the boy's shoulders slump forward, as if trying to protect himself. However, Calvin suppressed the shiver he felt sneaking up his spine and whispered, "My dad." He sighed brokenly and dragged a hand down his face in a painfully lethargic way. "My dad, that's what happened."

Kurt nodded, trying to keep his composure. Kurt _hated _to see those that he cared for pain. That was why he had hid his bullying for as long as he had, and even when it had been exposed, he had fought to hide the extent of it, including the death threat and sexual harassment. So, for Kurt to see someone he had befriended or someone he loved in any sort of turmoil was a unique brand of torture for him.

Swallowing his discomfort, Kurt pushed forward gently. "Does he do this often?"

Calvin was shaking his head before Kurt had even finished the question. "No, this was the worst it's ever been. I mean, he's shoved me before or…you know little things, but this was…this was bad…" he trailed off as his eyes glazed over. He didn't seem to notice the squeeze of comfort Kurt gave his hands as he continued on with his story. "I went home for the snow day, because it had been a while since I had gone to see my parents. My dad and I have never been close, especially since I came out a few years ago, but my mom and I are…well, she's one of my best friends. I love her. So it's worth all of my father's glares and insults just to spend some time with her. But when I got there today…she wasn't there. My dad was furious because apparently she had left him…and I had no idea…" Calvin's gaze lost some of its stunned disbelief and was replaced with a confused sadness.

"I don't understand," he whispered with tears once again beginning to pool in his soft brown eyes, "Why would she leave and not tell me?" He shook his head; the shock taking over him again. Seemingly deciding to come back to this question later, Calvin continued to explain his father's fury. "So anyways, I guess he was already pretty pissed and then I walked in and he just," he swept his hands out like an explosion, "well, he wasn't too happy to see my face, let's put it that way."

"To put it lightly," Blaine muttered sympathetically, finally breaking his silence.

Calvin's gaze flickered over to the dark haired boy and he smirked a little, acknowledging the truth of Blaine's words.

"He started going off about how I was a disgrace and I couldn't do anything right and I was ripping this family apart by _making _my mom side with me," he huffed out an angry breath, shaking his head throughout the entire explanation. "Then, the next thing I know, I'm crouched in a corner in the kitchen with him bearing down on me. The first opening I saw, I bolted for the door and ran to the nearest bus stop. I tried to get back to Dalton, but I just got here before I just got _so tired_. Then, before I can realize what I'm doing, I'm calling you, and, and-" he broke off abruptly as the sadness and worries began to edge their way to the surface again.

Kurt tugged on his hands gently as he viciously held back his own tears; seeing Calvin in pain was killing him. "I'm glad you did though," Kurt assured him gently yet with certainty.

Calvin just nodded gratefully and sniffed soupily.

They fell into a silence fueled by exhaustion. Calvin was tired by his whole ordeal, while Kurt was tired because of watching Calvin's sadness and fear and pain. Blaine could see how much this was wearing on Kurt, and in turn, he was exhausted because he wanted nothing more than for Kurt to be happy and smiling like he had been earlier. Not to mention the fact that he felt as though he and Calvin had formed a tentative sort of friendship, and he, like anyone else, didn't like seeing his friends in pain.

"Listen," Kurt finally spoke, standing and brushing his hands on his pants to remove any imaginary dust or dirt, "it's late and it's quite a drive back to Dalton. To be frank, I'm not really in the mood to die in a horrible car accident tonight because I hit a patch of black ice or something. So," he raised an eyebrow hopefully as he suggested, "I think we should just go to my house for the night."

He saw the worry in Calvin's face and the slight confusion in Blaine's.

"Look, we're closer to my home in Lima now than we are to Dalton, so it would save us a lot of driving. Plus, I seriously doubt that we'll have school tomorrow judging by all the snow on the roads and the slippery conditions of the roads. And, even if we do, we could make the trip to Dalton in the morning. Right now, I think what we all need is a good night's sleep and plenty of it."

He looked around the small group to gage their reactions. After discerning that none of them were going to combat him on this, Kurt smiled contently and shot his dad a text, saying that he and a few friends were going to crash at the house tonight.

It took a little while for Burt to text back, after all texting wasn't exactly his forte, but when he did he simple said yes, in true Burt fashion.

Kurt helped Calvin into the back of the Navigator and then he and Blaine took their positions in the front seats, immediately clasping their hands on the center counsel.

"Hey Kurt?" Blaine asked quietly, as the radio played some random tune in the background softly.

Kurt raised his eyebrow in question, indicating that he had his attention.

"Does your dad know about…us? That we're dating?"

Kurt froze, trying to think it through and then realizing that his father actually _didn't _know. "Oh, um…no, I guess not…"

Blaine shifted a little uncomfortably, glad that the darkness in the car concealed the blush that was, no doubt, spreading across his cheeks. "Should we, you know…_tell _him? I mean, I'm your boyfriend…and I'm staying the night…" he drifted off, letting Kurt think it through.

But Kurt's mind was stuck on the word _boyfriend. _He loved the way it sounded rolling off of Blaine's tongue, describing the status of their relationship. It filled him with an incredibly warm feeling that threatened to scald him from the inside out; not that it was unpleasant though. He was suddenly convinced that they didn't say that wonderful word nearly enough and wanted to do nothing but hear it bounce back and forth between them.

Shaking his thought free for the time being, Kurt responded with, "Well, I'll be honest, I can't really see my dad being very open to my boyfriend staying the night…" he bit his lip a little in contemplation, "so maybe we shouldn't tell him. Not yet anyways."

Blaine's eyes widened a little. "Kurt, I don't want your dad's first impression of me as your boyfriend to be that of a liar! I don't want him to hate me! Or shoot me!" He stumbled through his sentences trying to convey his lack of a death wish.

Kurt giggled a little and squeezed Blaine's hand lightly, amused at his need to impress. "Blaine, we _will _tell him, but tonight's not really about our relationship; it's about Calvin and keeping him safe," he glanced in the rearview mirror to see Calvin dosing off in the back seat.

Blaine swallowed audibly, but forced his muscles to relax some. "Okay, I trust you." He said, while taking a deep breath and leaving it at that.

*~Line Break~*

"Hey kiddo," Burt smiled happily as he gathered his son in his arms to crush him a little in a giant bear hug.

"Hi Dad, I missed you," he managed to squeeze out despite the lack of air in his lungs at the moment.

When they released, Burt stepped forward and extended his hand to Blaine amiably. "Good to see you again Blaine," he said with a light smile.

Blaine returned the expression with only a touch of panic in his eyes that he tried desperately to quell. "You as well sir."

Burt's mouth screwed up into a goofy grin as he glanced back at Kurt. "Okay, one, where did you find this guy? I haven't seen someone that polite and formal since you tried to teach me tea party etiquette. And second," he directed this next part to Blaine, "I'm not the queen of England; I'm Burt, and you can feel free to call me that." He smiled at Blaine, letting him know that this little speech was all in good humor.

Blaine blushed a little at being called out, but quickly returned the grin, with much less trepidation in his eyes this time. "Alright Burt, I can do that."

Burt smiled; seemingly pleased, and then landed his gaze on the small, fragile looking red-head who was huddled behind Kurt slightly.

"And who is this?" Burt asked his son curiously.

"This is Calvin," Kurt began, moving to the side so that Burt could clearly see the bruised boy.

Burt froze at the sight of the blossoming black eye. He saw the dodgy look in his eyes, as if he were trying to spot a possible escape route just in case. He also saw the freshly exposed nerves still raking shivers through his small body.

"What happened?" Burt asked in a fatherly voice, never one to condone violence except in sport.

"Um," Kurt stalled, not entirely sure how to proceed.

"You see, Calvin's sort of been through a lot tonight and I think he needs to get a good night's sleep," Blaine offered, eyes flicking between the three other men, "Why don't Kurt and I set him up on the couch and then we can talk?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly, wanting to know if they approved of his plan.

Burt, still glancing worriedly at Calvin, nodded his head a little warily and went to go sit in the dining room and wait.

Kurt and Blaine led him over to the couch, where they quickly scrounged up some blankets and pillows and nestled him deep under them.

"If you need anything, just let us know," Kurt told him firmly as the little boy's eyelids began to droop. "Any of us, okay? That includes my dad or stepmom. Although I would refrain from asking Fin; you'll probably just confuse him."

Calvin gave a little stuttered breath that was reminiscent of a laugh before allowing the lures of sleep to coax him under.

Getting up slowly and quietly, Kurt and Blaine made their way to the dining room to find Burt sitting and waiting.

"What's going on?" Burt cut straight to the chase. "Not that I'm opposed to impromptu visits, but something's wrong, isn't it?"

Kurt nodded his head and let out yet another exhausted sigh; it had to be about his 70th one today. Blaine had to fight the urge to reach out to Kurt and comfort him; to sooth his pain. But he couldn't, not with Burt in the room.

"His dad is a homophobic jerk and he…he did that to him…"

Burt's gaze instantly hardened into one of fury. "His _father?_"

Kurt nodded mutely, allowing his dad to mull over the information.

"Where's his mother?" Burt asked angrily.

"He doesn't know. His mom is apparently an incredible woman, but when he went over to visit today, he found out that she had apparently left his dad, that's why things got so bad."

Burt sat still in his place for a few moment, simply processing before he let out a colossal sigh of tension and frustration.

"I'll take care of this." He said with determination in every inch of his voice.

"But-" Kurt spluttered, obviously confused as to what method his father was imagining of employing.

"Trust me Kurt," his father said, eyes set with certainty, "I'll take care of this."

Kurt returned his father's gaze evenly for a few seconds before nodding his head once.

Standing up, Burt stretched his back wearily and turned to the boys who were sitting just a little closer than usual. But Burt pushed that thought from his mind and turned to the boys. "You guys should get some shut eye; you've had a long day."

"Thanks dad," Kurt breathed, hopping up enthusiastically at the promise of sleep. He had to stop himself from grabbing Blaine's hand as he rushed up the stairs to his room.

"I'll keep an eye out on the weather, and let you know if you have school tomorrow." Burt called out after him.

"Thanks dad!" Kurt said over his shoulder.

Once they had both changed into pajamas (both a pair of Kurt's, obviously, seeing as how neither of them had packed a bag) and brushed their teeth and taken showers, they closed the door and snuggled under the covers together.

Blaine pulled Kurt as close as he could, fitting the slender boy against his body as best as he could. He was lying on his back and had Kurt laying his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Blaine was content just breathing in Kurt's scent and feeling the closeness after having to pretend for Burt's sake.

Kurt nuzzled his face into Blaine's neck and began leaving small, wet kisses along the side of his throat.

Blaine was able to bite back most of his groan at the unexpected gesture, but not all of it. It came out sounding strangled and desperate.

Kurt felt desire take over his body as he trailed the kisses higher up, slowly making his way to Blaine's full lips.

Pretending to be just friends was _exhausting _and hard. Now, here they were, alone at last, with his boyfriend, in his bed, staying the night and Kurt would be damned if he didn't take advantage of the situation.

Kurt had finally inched his way up to the corner of Blaine's mouth where the curly headed boy lay in anticipation. But instead of lowering his lips onto Blaine's, Kurt oh so slowly drug his body over Blaine's to position himself on top of the shuddering boy beneath him. He took his time moving into a comfortable position; dragging his body over Blaine's with agonizing friction and the feel of their bodies flush against one another. He wiggled around a little to get comfortable, eliciting another whimper from the boy beneath him.

Kurt leaned in close, and Blaine eagerly tensed for the kiss that was surely coming. But Kurt was in a feisty mood tonight. Perhaps it was because he was so blasted tired that he felt fearless, or maybe it was because his gorgeous boyfriend was lying in his bed. Whatever the reason, it had turned Kurt Hummel into a world class tease. He leaned in dangerously close to Blaine's lips, but at the last second, he shifted to the side, ever so slightly and pressed a feather light kiss to the corner of Blaine's lips again. He skirted the perimeter of Blaine's lips with his own.

"You're so gorgeous," Kurt whispered against Blaine's skin, causing the lust wracked man to shudder.

Kurt let his fingers tangle into Blaine's beautiful curls; finally released by the shower. He raked them through the tightly wound springs of brunette and then down his face, down his neck, down his chest, and all the way down to his stomach. He could feel each of his muscles tensing underneath his touch.

Kurt laughed a husky little laugh; his normally smooth voice a tad rough with fatigue. "I love the feel of your body," Kurt whispered against the shell of his ear, letting his warm breath wreak havoc on the man beneath him who let out another groan of pleasure and want. "It's so perfect," he murmured before lightly licking the skin of the hollow behind his ear.

It was then that Blaine snapped. He quite literally couldn't take this teasing anymore. With a growl of pure passion, Blaine rolled over, trapping Kurt beneath him, and in about 2 seconds flat, had his lips sealed to Kurt's, frantically attacking them over and over again.

It was Kurt's turn to moan in pleasure as his hands, which were still caressing Blaine's stomach, found the edge of Blaine's t-shirt and boldly decided to yank the cotton barrier up.

Blaine complied eagerly and shed the fabric prison from his torso. He felt Kurt's hands explore his naked upper body with reverence and excitement. He shivered as Kurt's hands glided over his ribs, his shoulders, his sides. He felt as if the nerve ending in his body were on fire, causing this blissful tingly feeling to spread throughout him.

Suddenly, the need for skin to skin contact was so strong that Blaine let out a wanton whine and pulled frantically at Kurt's shirt. Kurt wiggled around to grant Blaine's request, but finally was able to rid himself of his shirt.

Both boys shivered as Blaine crashed their chests flush together; both too desperate for that contact.

Their hands began to roam, searching for the places that made each other squirm with delight and desire, while their lips restlessly devoured one another's.

It was when Kurt's hands daringly dipped underneath the waistband of Blaine's sleep pants, just an inch or so that Blaine's hips involuntarily rolled into Kurt, seeking the friction they both craved.

Kurt groaned a broken sound and his hips involuntarily responded by bucking up wildly.

Blaine began rocking his hips back and forth, slowly, _slowly _building a rhythm. Kurt mewled underneath him as his hands clutched at Blaine's shoulders. The movements steadily sped up and became more and more desperate.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps on the stairs alerted them to an approaching visitor. To be honest the sound barely broke through either of their lust filled hazes. But Blaine's 'I don't want to be staring down the barrel of a shotgun' instinct was still on high alert. With wide eyes, Blaine regretfully, yet frantically rolled off of Kurt and turned his back to him, as Kurt, catching on rather quickly, turned the opposite direction, placing some distance between their bodies.

Burt peeked into the room and surveyed the room to see two boys, apparently asleep, on opposite sides of the bed.

_I could have sworn I had heard something… _he mused, but decided to brush it off.

He quietly shut the door behind himself as he retreated to his own room.

Kurt gently rolled over and attached himself to the back of Blaine; being the big spoon. He wrapped his long arms around the shorter boy's waist and tangled their legs together some before placing a sweet, loving kiss on the back of his neck.

"I guess your parent's house isn't exactly the right place, is it?" Blaine teased, softly stroking Kurt's hands that rested on his abdomen.

"Probably not." Kurt admitted bashfully. "But we'll find a place somewhere." He reassured Blaine confidently, still speaking in a whisper.

Blaine didn't even try to fight the grin that overtook his face. "I'm looking forward to that." He giggled, sighing contently.

"I love you," Blaine muttered sleepily.

"I love you too" Kurt replied instantly.

And that was all they needed to hear to have the best night's sleep of their lives.

**A/N: Don't worry, you guys, I didn't forget about the "promise" they made back a few chapters ago ; ) I've been debating on whether or not to include possible smut in this story, and if so, how detailed I want it to be… I'm just not sure. Thoughts? Suggestions? And I'm always curious to know what you think of the chapter or story as a whole too! So feel free to leave a review or PM me! Love you guys!**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hey guys! Wow, I've missed writing so much but time has been a fickle character lately, and I can't seem to find enough of it! But, finally, here I am with a brand new chapter for you! Oh, and I have to say it guys: WE MADE IT! We finally have Glee back and our lovely, lovely Klaine! How sweet were they in this episode? Way to go Blaine for pushing Kurt towards his dreams. That's true love right there people! Anyways, I want to thank all of you who are continuing to read my story and review and favorite and follow and all that junk because it's just the most surreal thing to me, and I love it! So, anyways, onward with the story! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 27**

Kurt could hear a slight mumble sound near his ear, but the fog of sleep remained heavily over him. A rough, calloused hand gently touched his shoulder, trying to wake him from his slumber. Fighting at the layers of fatigue that he was swathed in, Kurt forced his eyes to flutter open. He found his dad kneeling at the side of his bed; a gentle smile gracing his face.

"Hey, buddy," he whispered softly to his dreary son.

Kurt hummed in response, not able to muster much more from the brink of consciousness that he was clinging to.

"Just wanted to let you know that you don't have school today," Burt continued in his softest voice.

A lazy smile spread lightly across Kurt's features as he let out another hum of happiness.

"I went ahead and turned your alarm off," Burt informed his son, as he slowly rose up and began to edge toward the door.

Kurt's barely open eyes rested on his father briefly as he stood in the door way. "Thanks," he mumbled in a tired whisper, as his eyes began to flutter closed again.

Burt just smiled at his son and turned to go down to the kitchen, as he quietly closed the door behind him.

Burt felt that soft smile stay in place as he made his way to the kitchen and found a mug for himself to pour his coffee into.

It was moments like that when he felt comforted that his son was still his happy little boy. Yes, he knew that Kurt was growing up, and he was extremely proud of the young man he was turning out to be, but, like any parent, he missed the days when Kurt would run to him for comfort. He missed being his little boy's rock.

But he saw Blaine's hand resting lightly on Kurt's waist and the dreary smile spread on the shorter boys face, even in sleep, and he knew that he was no longer Kurt's rock.

Of course, they would always have a special relationship; they had been through too much together to not retain at least that, but now, Kurt had someone else to run to his moments of fear and doubt.

He had someone that he loved. And who loved him back.

And it was utterly terrifying to Burt. It was terrifying because it made Kurt so unbelievably _happy_; like Burt had never seen before. It made Kurt content and whole. But it also set him up for heartbreak. It set him up for the biggest pain that anyone could ever suffer.

Burt knew that he could be a stubborn, thick headed man, and hell, he'd be the first to agree with that, but he wasn't blind. He saw the way that Kurt looked at Blaine. He saw the way they talked to one another; with a sense of awe and utter respect and caring. He saw the way they always seemed to be conscious of one another physically; practically moving in sync without even realizing it. And he noticed the way Blaine smiled at him; with such love and confidence. He realized how the whole dynamic of their relationship, even if it wasn't romantic was based on devotion; complete and utter devotion, no matter what, through thick and thin, forever.

And it terrified Burt to know that Kurt and Blaine were so young, but had already grasped the key to a successful relationship before they had even been together. These two could go all the way: dating, marriage, family, _everything! _

And Burt was terrified because that boy, that _man_, was his baby boy.

And as much as he wanted to think that he could just threaten Blaine with the promise of a shotgun if he broke Kurt's heart, he knew he wouldn't, because Blaine was a special man; he had to be if he was with Kurt. Kurt needed someone that was just as special as he didn't even realize he was. He needed someone that was every drop as brave, talented and caring as he was. And Burt was pretty sure that he had found it in that little curly haired Warbler boy of his.

So what could he do but beg Blaine to take care of his son, and assure him that they were made for each other? Burt felt a slight blush rush over his cheeks as his rarely exercised sappy side began to show, but he stomped his own embarrassment down, because, bottom line, he loved Kurt, he liked Blaine, and he wanted them together, because, quite frankly, he didn't really trust anyone else with his son.

His son growing up was just a part of life, and it was to be expected.

It may terrify him, but he wasn't going to fight it. He knew that the boy in his son's bed was madly in love with Kurt, and the feelings were definitely reciprocated. Burt also knew that the two were most likely together. There was a small shift in their dispositions that he couldn't quite put a finger on, but it was most definitely there.

And even though he knew all of this, he wasn't going to fight it.

That was why he shut their door.

*~Line Break~*

Kurt heard the gentle click of his door as his father shut it behind him. He lazily rolled over and stretched out his arms, eyes still closed, blindly searching for the other warm body in his bed.

His fingers finally landed on a mop of soft, curly hair. He fluttered his eyes open once more to see his hand gently lying on the side of a sleeping Blaine's face.

Kurt felt his heart swell at the sight of his completely peaceful boyfriend's face. He couldn't resist from gently caressing the side of this unbelievably gorgeous man's face.

Blaine hummed in pleasure and let out a huge sigh as the motion of Kurt's fingers gently opened his eyes.

Their eye's met and held in completely silent, sleepy, bliss. The room was bathed in a dim, yet sharp, cold white light that only amplified the chill of this morning; five a.m. and snowy.

Blaine, confused as to how this canyon of space had erupted between them during the course of the night, scooted forward a little and enveloped Kurt's slender waist in his arms, pulling the taller boy tightly against his chest, both lying on their sides so they could face one another.

Kurt, still more asleep than awake, sighed as the warmth of Blaine's body overtook him in the midst of the cold November air.

Blaine brought them nose to nose as they blearily tried to make eye contact. However, the dreariness that was still coloring every motion of theirs made it hard for them to keep their eyes open.

They tangled their hands in the small space in between their bodies as Kurt breathed out, "No school t'day,"

Blaine purred approvingly and nuzzled his nose against Kurt's lovingly, a lazy smile still present on his tranquil features. "Good." He answered simply.

A barely there, breathy giggle fell from Kurt's lips, sleep rapidly overtaking him again. "Love you…"

Blaine tried to snuggle his way in even closer to Kurt, obviously wanting nothing more than to occupy the same space as his boyfriend. "Love you…Wanna stay here all day…so warm…"

" 'Kay…" Kurt said as sleep finally pulled him under, Blaine right behind him.

*~Line Break~*

Two hours later and Blaine felt the veil of sleep being tugged off of him. He slowly slipped into consciousness and, unlike the last time, became fully aware.

The first thing he saw was his Kurt's face right near his own. Their noses were about an inch apart and he could feel the soft puffs of exhalations hitting his face from his love's nose.

He allowed his eyes to roam around this beautiful boy's face. He took in the flawlessness of the skin; pale and perfect. He studied the perfectly arched brows and the way his eyelashes fanned out against his cheeks, long and dark. He saw the locks of hair falling down around his face in an almost stylish disarray. And then his eyes fell on those beautiful, rose tinted lips. They were full and lightly parted in relaxation.

Blaine couldn't resist leaning forward and lightly lining his own lips up with Kurt's, kissing his gently.

As he pulled away, he heard Kurt stir just a little and sigh lightly. Blaine leaned in again and kissed those perfect lips with a little more purpose this time.

Kurt finally broke through the surface of his sleep and came back into consciousness where Blaine's lips were on his own.

He squeezed Blaine's hands, seeing as how they were still tangled between the two of them, to let him know that he was awake, as he instantly responded to Blaine's kiss.

Blaine smiled through their kiss but didn't pull back when he felt Kurt's lips begin to move in tandem with his own. Kurt slowly began to shift onto his back, but kept his grip on Blaine's hands, pulling the boy with him, signaling him to land on top.

Blaine eagerly obliged as he lay down on top of his gorgeous boyfriend, their kissed becoming more and more awake and energized.

Kurt's tongue peeked out to stroke Blaine's bottom lip, which urgently parted from the top to allow Kurt entrance. The kiss turned passionate as Kurt's leg hitched up over Blaine's hip; trying desperately to be closer to the man he was already smashed flush against. Blaine moaned in desire and kissed back even harder.

When the need for air became absolutely essential, they broke apart, resting their foreheads against one another's and breathing deeply to catch as much of that precious O2 as possible.

"Wow," Kurt giggled breathily, his eyes twinkling happily, "That was better than coffee."

Blaine chuckled in returned and hastily agreed, "Good, I'm glad. Now we can stop going to the Lima Bean almost every day and use that coffee money for something more important like…oh I don't know…college!"

Kurt giggled and swatted Blaine playfully on the shoulder. "Hey, nothing is more important than a Grande Non-fat Mocha!"

"Nothing?" Blaine hedged giving him his best puppy dog pouty face.

"Nope," Kurt teased, looking away innocently.

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked, suddenly very, very close again; nose to nose, his eyes almost black with mischief and determination.

Almost certain that Blaine would kiss him again, Kurt teasingly replied, "Yup, absolutely sure,"

But instead of planting another steamy kiss on his lips, Kurt felt Blaine's fingers begin to tickle his stomach and sides in a surprise sneak attack.

Kurt's eyes widened as he exploded into torrents of silent laughter, tears instantly pooling in his eyes. He squirmed and wiggled in a vain attempt to escape, but, seeing as how he was still underneath Blaine's body, he wasn't getting very far.

"Blaine…haha, please…stop…oh haha, so….ticklish!"

Blaine was grinning ear to ear as he chanted, "Say it then, say it,"

"You're…better than a, haha…mocha…haha!"

Blaine's already Cheshire sized grin somehow seemed to impossibly expand as he abruptly stopped his barrage on Kurt's ticklish midsection.

Kurt gasped for breath as he continued to giggle lightly in the aftershocks of the tickle attack. He turned his face up and placed a sloppy kiss on Blaine's ridiculous smile, both of them chuckling lightly.

"You're okay I guess," Kurt added when he pulled away.

Blaine just laughed and nuzzled his smiled-plastered face into Kurt's neck contently, humming a random tune.

Kurt just wound his arms tighter around his waist and was sure the smile on his face was just as ridiculous.

*~Line Break~*

Finally heading downstairs, Kurt and Blaine were a little surprised to see Calvin and Burt sitting at the dining room table chatting away.

Calvin looked up at Kurt when they entered the kitchen with a true genuine smile.

Kurt was a little surprised by this; he wasn't expecting to see Calvin smiling so soon after the drama of last night, but here he was, sitting in his kitchen, drinking coffee and conversing with his dad.

"Morning everyone," Kurt said as he grabbed a mug of coffee for himself and Blaine. Despite their wonderful alternative wake up call, they both agreed that it was just criminal to not partake in the morning ritual that was coffee.

"Hey," Calvin piped up in his usual gentle tone, giving them another soft and sincere smile.

"How did you sleep?" Blaine asked conversationally, sipping his coffee slowly and fighting the urge to wrap one of his arms around Kurt's waist; instead, he gripped his cup with both of his hands and let the steam billow up around his face.

"Okay I guess," Calvin answered truthfully before turned to Burt and smiling slightly, "Thanks to your dad," he said to Kurt, not moving his eyes from Burt's face.

Burt shrugged nonchalantly and waved his hand in a 'forget about it, it was nothing', sort of gesture.

"What happened?" Kurt asked curiously, quirking one brow skyward.

"I asked Calvin for his last name and the phone numbers of his dad and mom, and then told him to go to sleep. I Google searched his father by first and last name and just got a general feel for the guy. I also found his contact info from the website of the law firm he works at. I think it might be nice for them to see what one of their attorneys does in his free time. Then I searched his mom and saw if there were any news articles on her disappearance, since Calvin here swears that she wouldn't just leave him without any sort of word. I didn't find anything though, so I gave her a call."

Calvin, unable to hold in his joy, jumped in with the remainder of the story, "And it was all just a big misunderstanding! There was some miscommunication, see, my mom and I write letters back and forth to one another, because we've always appreciated the art and whimsy of handwritten letters." He smiled fondly as he spoke of his mother, but continued on with the rest of the story. "Anyways, she had apparently written in her latest letter that she was leaving my father because she couldn't stand to be with a man that didn't love me and who wasn't good to me," Calvin's eyes began to well up as he recounted his mother's words of ending her marriage because she loved him so much. She threw away the vows she had made to keep him safe and because she chose Calvin first. Calvin was nothing short of amazed. Fighting through his tears he continued, "but, the problem is, I never got around to reading that letter! I remember getting it in the mail and deciding to read it after I studied for the night, but it must have gotten lost amongst all of the papers on my desk, and I just got so busy and overwhelmed with school that I forgot I was missing it!"

Burt smiled at the happiness evident on the petite ginger's face and picked up the story to bring it home, "so I told her about what had happened to Calvin here, and she said she was on her way. She was apparently staying at her sister's house in Columbus, so she should be here in about an hour or two, since I called her a few hours back."

"Wait," Kurt finally spoke in what felt like ages, "did you sleep at all last night dad?"

Burt shook his head and shrugged it off.

"Dad!" Kurt complained, "that can't be good for your heart! Plus, you must be exhausted."

"Kurt, I'm fine, really," Burt assured his son with compassion in his eyes.

Kurt's glare softened as he slowly acquiesced and nodded approvingly.

Calvin broke the silence of their staring contest by clearing his throat awkwardly. "Well, I'm going to go take a shower if that's alright," he asked.

"Sure," Kurt spoke up, smiling at Calvin and standing to walk him out, "I'll show you were the bathroom is and get you some towels and stuff," he offered, leading him out of the room.

Once the pale boys exited the room, Blaine looked up to see Burt staring at him. Not glaring or trying to kill him with a single look or sneering or smirking or angry, just looking.

Nonetheless, Blaine squirmed underneath the scrutiny but kept his eyes on the older man out of a show of respect.

"Blaine," Burt began, keeping his unwavering gazed on the obviously nervous boy, "I'm going to make this quick because Kurt won't take too long and this needs to be said."

Blaine quickly nodded, notifying Burt that he had his undivided attention.

Burt nodded back and rubbed a hand almost nervously across his face before taking a deep breath and returning his gaze to the wide-eyed Warbler.

"Blaine, now, I like you and I think you're a fine young man."

Blaine smiled a little and blushed a little and all in all, Burt thought this was going pretty good so far.

"I also know that you love my son,"

The color instantly drained from the tanned boy's skin and he looked as if he had just seen the a ghost; he looked like he was ready to bolt at any moment.

"and he loves you too," Burt continued.

Blaine's expression morphed from one of pure fear to one of confusion as he was no longer sure where Burt could be headed with this.

"I'm also fairly sure that you boys are dating or together now, or whatever you call it now a days." He raised an eyebrow in question to which Blaine gave a single, curt nod, affirming his relationship status with Kurt as that of a boyfriend.

Burt nodded back acceptingly. "I just ask that you take care of my son, Blaine." His gaze turned a mixture of pleading and nervousness and an overwhelming amount of fatherly love as he asked Blaine for this security, "please, just take care of him for me. Man to man, do me this one favor. I love him, and he's my son and he trusts you. So be there for him-"

"-When he's sad and crying or when he's happy and laughing," Blaine interrupted, answering Burt's request with a resounding 'yes' in his own words. "When he's angry at me because my outfit is clashing with his, or when he's annoyed that I try to get him to eat more than salads. When he's missing his mom or when he's having nightmares of Karofsky." Blaine hastily kept the tears from falling, knowing that Kurt would be back soon, he hurried through his reassurance, keeping his eyes on Burt's, whose eyes were beginning to similarly shine with tears. "I'll be there, because I love him and I want to be with him and nowhere else and because he would do that for me if I needed him to. Because he's the closest thing I've ever seen to perfection and it's fascinating and intoxicating and I need him!" He came to an abrupt halt as he heard Kurt's footsteps hit the stairs, descending towards them.

Burt smiled a relieved smile and nodded his approval, wiping his eyes to remove all of the moisture from them.

Kurt finally re-entered the room to see Blaine and his father standing across the room from one another, staring intently and openly at one another. Kurt froze and curiously examined the situation, but his observation was cut short as Blaine acknowledged his entrance be drifted over to his side. All of a sudden the silence and tension, not _bad_ tension, perhaps, intensity was the right word, washed from the room and was replaced with the normal easy-going Hummel house vibe.

"Alright," Burt said gruffly, turning his eyes to the two boys, "you two can just go hang out or something; Calvin's mom won't be here for at least another hour."

"Okay," Kurt replied, still a little curious as to what happened in his absence.

Burt grabbed his mug of coffee and walked out the kitchen door, pausing next to Kurt, who was standing just inside the doorway, and placing a large hand on his broad shoulder.

"You picked a good one," he said, "don't let this one get away." And with that he walked out of the kitchen.

Kurt's jaw dropped, trying to figure out how his father had figured it out.

"He just sort of knew," Blaine offered, seeing the gears turning in his head.

Kurt whipped his head toward Blaine with surprise still etched on this features. "Is that what he talked to you about while I was gone? I could feel the change in the air when I came back."

Blaine simply nodded and threaded his fingers through Kurt's.

Kurt smiled in response and laughed lightly, all the confusion melting from his face.

"Well, I'd say that went pretty well."

*~Line Break~*

Calvin sat tensely on the couch with excitement. His mom was due any minute and he was anxious to see her.

Kurt and Blaine were sitting in the love seat casually as Burt occupied his recliner. All of them were waiting silently for the arrival of this mystery wonder woman.

At long last, the doorbell rang out, crisp and clear through the house and Calvin was up and out of his seat and halfway to the door by the time the sound of the doorbell died out.

He flung the door open to reveal a short woman with similar copper hair, however it was a deeper auburn with more brown in it, instead of the more orange hair that Calvin had. She was tiny with delicate features just like her son, and was bundled up in a brown fur coat. It was easy to see where Calvin got his looks from as the two of them practically jumped into each other, twisting their arms around the other in a snug embrace.

When they pulled back, Calvin's mom was gently stroking his face and bruises like any concerned mother would.

Her gaze finally broke from her son who was grinning with complete and all-encompassing jubilation, to take note of the three other people in the room waiting patiently on the sidelines.

She broke away from her son to fling her arms around Kurt who stood stalk still with surprise, before tentatively patting her on the back.

"Thank you so, so much for finding him and bringing him here! You're a wonderful friend to do that! Thank you, thank you," she raved before detaching herself from a still fairly stunned Kurt and moving over to Burt and extending her hand to shake the gruff man's vigorously.

"Hi, I'm Betty, Calvin's mom, but you probably already guessed that," she rambled out nervously, sounding a little bit like her son.

"Sir," she said in a very serious tone, seeming to calm down her near hysterics to get her next point across, "Thank you for finding me and letting me know about this. Really…thank you."

Burt returned her gaze and nodded purposefully, "Of course. Calvin needed his mom, so I got his mom."

Betty smiled and finally released his hand to move back over to Calvin, who stood beaming by the door.

"Baby, I'm so sorry this happened!" She soothed her son as she gently ran her fingers through his still slightly wet hair and clucked like a mother hen, fretting over her baby like he was the most precious piece of gold.

"Hey," Calvin stopped her; the smile still on his face, "Dad threw the punched, not you. This isn't your fault."

Betty nodded, but tears still gathered at the rim of her eye. Calvin gently patted her shoulder before whispering that maybe they should go get some lunch so they could talk.

One the two of them had piled into Betty's car and driven off to Breadstix (per Kurt's directional instructions and warning of the hard as rocks breadsticks) the three remained guys moved away from the door; Burt retreating to the couch to see what was on sports wise at 9 in the morning. Kurt and Blaine started making their way to Kurt's room, tiptoeing really to avoid waking the slumbering Finn, who would undoubtedly be sleeping until at least noon and an exhausted Carol, who had been stuck with a couple extra-long shifts lately and deserved the sleep.

Blaine suddenly stopped on the stairs, causing Kurt to come to a halt and tug lightly at his hand in question.

"I'll be right up, I just need to get a drink of water really quick." Blaine said, slipping his hand from Kurt's and scampering downstairs into the living room.

"What you did for him was really cool." Blaine said suddenly to Burt, who abruptly looked up in surprise to see another person standing in the previously empty room. "I wish I had had someone like you when things with my day got…rough…"

Burt straightened up in his chair a little. "Did your dad ever…?"

Blaine nodded a 'yes' to the implied question. "It didn't ever get too bad and it wasn't _all _the time, but it was pretty regular. One a week or every other week." Blaine stared at his feet as the toed the ground nervously. He shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"Does Kurt know?" Burt asked.

"He know the generals, but not all the specifics. It's sort of hard for me to talk about." Blaine said in a quieter voice.

"I would have helped you too Blaine," Burt assured him with confidence in his voice, "I'd _still _help you if you ever needed it." He gave Blaine a look laden with meaning.

Blaine returned that look and nodded gratefully. "I'll let you know." He promised.

And with that, Blaine ascended the stairs with a load off of his mind. He didn't see his parents a lot, so he wasn't really subjected to his father's violent tendencies much anymore, but it was nice to know that he had someone like Burt watching his back.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed that little Burt overdose there, but I seriously love that man. As Kurt said in the last episode, he "truly is the world's best father". And, side note, that scene where Burt takes Kurt to the airport had me bawling my eyes out. Especially the line where Burt says, "You can always come back," *Kurt gets out of the car* "But you won't." And then Kurt's walking away and Burt's holding in his tears but you can tell he's simultaneously proud and sad at his son leaving, but he doesn't care that he's hurting himself; he does it because he loves Kurt and wants him to live his dream. Oh, wow, okay, I'm done now, but I seriously loved that scene and it sort of inspired me to write all of this Burt stuff! How did you like it? Review or PM me please! Love you all!**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Finally, I finally have a chapter for you! Not only is school being a total pain, but I had severe writers block; it's a lethal combo. Anyways, I want to thank all of you who continue to read my story and favorite, follow, and review, all that good stuff. It makes this all worth it. I also included a song in this chapter because it's been far too long since anyone sung in this story and it was driving me crazy! So, as per usual, I put the song name in the end Author's note, so if you want to hear it before you read it, you can just YouTube it. Anyways, here is your long overdue chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 28**

Winter in Ohio was no joke. By mid-November, all the boys at Dalton were used to bundling up in their navy and red striped scarves before scurrying off to class. Today was no exception as the dreary gray sky threatened snow…again.

Kurt had just found his tie as a knock sounded on his door. "Come in!" he called, already knowing who was going to sweep through his door.

"Hey beautiful," Blaine smiled as he crossed the room to wrap his arms around Kurt's waist from behind.

Kurt offered a warm smile in return as he replied, "Just finishing the ensemble. I'll be done in a second."

Blaine hummed in contentment as he closed his eyes and rested his chin on Kurt's shoulder, before circling around Kurt to stand in front of him. Wordlessly, he slipped the tie out of Kurt's fingers and began securing an elegant knot at the base of Kurt's throat.

Kurt watched his nimble fingers toy with the tie, twisting and pulling the fabric strip this way and that. The entire time, he noticed a small smile gracing Blaine's beautiful lip; as if he were really enjoying such a simple task.

As the knot was finally finished, Blaine slid it up gently to tighten it and then looked up at Kurt with shiny eyes so full of love that Kurt felt slightly overwhelmed.

Slowly sliding his hands up from Kurt's neck to the sides of his face, Blaine leaned in smoothly to place a slow, loving kiss on Kurt's gently smiling lips.

He pulled back with a small, wet _pop _just enough to look his beautiful, blue-eyed boyfriend in those gorgeous eyes of his.

"I love you," Kurt whispered, positively glowing, "Oh yeah, and good morning." Kurt chuckled at their cheesiness, even though he loved it.

Blaine's eyes sparkled with amusement as he grabbed Kurt's hand and started leading him to the door. "We should get to breakfast. The guys are probably wondering where we are."

*~Line Break~*

"You wanna bet?! I swear, if we go by Kurt's room, that door is going to be locked down like Alcatraz with a sock tied around the door knob, not to mention the strange sounds that- Hey Blaine, buddy, what's up?!" Wes tried to play it off as nothing more than a friendly greeting.

"Oh, you know, just thinking about ravishing every inch of Kurt's body. Same old, same old. What's up with you?" Blaine kept his expression completely nonchalant, like his words were no big deal, but his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"I, uh, just…same, I gue- OH GOD, I mean, I'm not thinking about…_ravishing _Kurt or…anything! Not that, like I wouldn't, or whatever, cause he's hot and stuff, but like I'm not, uh, gay or-and he's dating _you _so…" Wes' eyes were wide with panic as he spluttered through his explanation and abruptly came to a stop, looking ever so flustered.

The entire table busted out laughing into one loud cacophony of sound as Wes glared angrily at them.

"I hate you all." He said sassily as he stood with his tray, and turned his nose up haughtily. "If you enjoy making people feel awkward, then maybe you should take Kurt dancing," he said, directing his gaze on Blaine, "cause we've all seen your moves sir, and they are atrocious."

The table burst out into another round of laugher as Wes smiled and "stormed" off. The only person at the table who wasn't laughing was the subject of the teasing insult.

"Oh Blaine, he was teasing," Kurt giggled, poking his boyfriend in the side; trying to sooth the upset look off of his face.

Slowly, Blaine turned to Kurt, the same worried look covering his features. "Kurt," he said in a disbelieving voice, "I've never taken you on a real date." His eyes finally landed on his beautiful boyfriend's and displayed every ounce of his disappointment.

"I guess not…" Kurt mused, almost finding it surprising. He lightly shrugged to indicate it didn't really concern him, but Blaine apparently didn't share the same leniency on the subject.

"Kurt!" he nearly whined, shifting his body in his chair to face Kurt more fully, "I can't believe we've been dating for nearly 27 days and I haven't taken you on an honest date yet!"

"You know the number of days we've been dating?" Kurt questioned with a cute little smile pulling at his lips.

"Oh please Kurt, one doesn't forget the day you begin your life with someone," he said like it was a completely common place phrase.

With shining eyes Kurt leaned in and tried to kiss his absolutely out of this world boyfriend, but Blaine pulled back, hands splayed out in front of his chest. "Ooo, no, you're good. You're like some evil…male temptress, with your long legs and gorgeous eyes and sexy…" he gestured wildly at Kurt's entire body, "…everything!"

"You thing I'm sexy?" Kurt questioned seductively with a caress to the side of Blaine's face, only a hint of doubt in his eyes as he still didn't quite agree with the use of the word _sexy _to describe him.

"Oh, don't act like you don't know! Now, Kurt, focus! I need to plan the perfect date for us! Tomorrow's Friday, so be ready! I promise, it will be the best-"

"-And _only," _Kurt interjected.

"Best and only date you've ever had!"

He stood quickly and disappeared out of the cafeteria, way too eager to begin planning.

Kurt just smiled and shook his head. _I'm dating a puppy._

*~Line Break~*

By the time Friday rolled around, Kurt hadn't seen Blaine since their breakfast the day before. He had kept to himself and practically locked himself in his room.

A knock sounded at his door, pulling him from his thoughts before he got very far into them.

He hopped up excitedly, and flung the door open with a smile that he was sure was too large to be flattering.

"Hello, beautiful," Blaine said with a loving smile on his lips. His smile faltered slightly when he let his eyes travel the length of Kurt's body. "You look, uh…wow…" he awkwardly cleared his throat. His eyes continued to study his boyfriends lean frame, dressed in black skinny jeans and a black v-neck shirt with a blood red cardigan. He paired his ensemble with black boots that rose to his knees, adorned in gold hardware and buckles.

"Likewise," Kurt said in a breathy sort of whisper, taking in Blaine's dark blue jeans, rolled into a cuff and navy blue button down shirt that had the faintest checked pattern to it with a slightly lighter blue. He had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, leaving his strong forearms revealed, that simply made Kurt's mouth water.

Kurt leaned forward to capture Blaine's lips in a kiss. For crying out loud, it had been nearly 2 days! He was desperate! To his complete and utter surprise, Blaine laid a hand on his chest and lightly stepped back; a small apology on his face. Kurt couldn't help the small growl that escaped his lips. He was, after all, just a teenage boy who wanted to kiss his boyfriend after going far too long without him.

"Sorry, but I don't kiss on the first date," Blaine teased lightly, milking it for all it was worth.

Kurt narrowed his eyes and grinned a little evilly, "Oh, but I can be very persuasive," he all but purred, sending a shiver down Blaine's spine. "I think I can get you to reconsider…"

"Are you trying to seduce me Mr. Hummel?" Blaine asked with playful shock.

Kurt just stepped closer and whispered into his ear the one word that nearly stopped Blaine's heart: "Yes."

Blaine swallowed thickly, a little surprised by Kurt's forwardness, but not bothered in the slightest. His brain pretty much stuttered and died; unable to process the arousal he was currently experiencing.

Kurt smiled inwardly at the success of his advances and then, in an attempt to keep his boyfriend from overheating, he stepped back and linked his arm through the slightly shorter man's.

"So, where to?"

Blaine shook his head to clear the haze out of it and his face was quickly captured in a smile as he tugged his boyfriend across campus.

Kurt soon found himself in the Warbler's common room, facing Blaine with questions in his eyes.

"We've had a lot of big moments in this room." Blaine explained, leading Kurt over to the couch and motioning for his to sit. "This is where I sang 'Teenage Dream' to you, and where we finally started dating. This room is a little iconic for us, isn't it?" Blaine meandered his way over to the piano and sat down before turning back to Kurt and smiling slightly. "But the biggest moment in this room, is one that you don't even know about."

Kurt quirked an eyebrow; confused as can be, but stayed silent to allow Blaine the chance to explain.

"This is the room, where I fell in love with you. I wouldn't admit it to myself until later, but if I'm being honest, I know that as soon as I got to sing that song to you and saw you smile the way you did…I was gone…" He chuckled lightly. Before Kurt had a chance to speak, Blaine continued. "So, I talked to you and got your number and started texting you far too often, and desperately tried to keep my crush a secret. And then you showed up at Dalton and I was so happy and so scared and I had to try even harder to keep my love for you a secret. Not just from you and my friends, but from myself as well." He looked down at the piano and softly stroked some of the beautiful ivory keys as he spoke again, "But almost every night, I would break. I would admit to myself that I wanted to be with you and that I needed more and…I would sing this song."

He lifted his eyes up to find Kurt's again; both sets beginning to sparkle with unshed tears.

"It gave me hope that one day I would have…_this_, what I have now." He shook his head as if in disbelief, and smiled lightly.

With no further preamble, Blaine began to play softly.

_Waited a hundred years to see your face,_

_And I would wait a hundred more,_

_If only to be near you,_

_To have you and to hear you,_

_Isn't that what time is for?_

As Blaine paused for a moment, the tension increased causing Kurt to almost wonder if he was supposed to answer. Kurt could just picture Blaine singing this song, crouched at the piano, overcome with doubt and simultaneous hope; assuring himself that he would get what he wanted in due time.

_Sailed a thousand ships in search of you,_

_Travelled to distant lands,_

_I dove for sunken gold,_

_I took what I could hold but you're, _

_Still the greatest treasure I've held in my hands._

Blaine smiled softly as that line slipped through his lips. He hadn't sung this song in so long, yet it instantly transported him back to the longing he had felt for Kurt. That he _still _felt for Kurt. The love that was building in his soul clawed its way up his throat as the next line grew subtly louder with power.

_My love,_

_The reason I survive,_

_Trust we'll be together soon_

Kurt saw tears beginning to fall from Blaine's gorgeous hazel eyes as he sang the last line. He knew that Blaine was reliving those nights that he had suffered through at this very piano, singing this song, only a month ago. Kurt knew what it was like to want someone _so incredibly _bad, but feel as though you'll never be able to earn their love. It was terrifying and so incredibly, achingly sad, that his heart twisted painfully just thinking of it. He pushed back the un-needed fear and zeroed back in on Blaine's words.

_Should our fire turn to dark,_

_Take my heart with you._

Blaine's voice gave just a little on the last line, but he pushed ahead, needing Kurt to hear the song that had characterized his longing long before he had made it known publicly.

_A tattered photograph my pocket holds_

_I keep you secretly,_

_Studied every line you're,_

_Etched upon my mind for,_

_Not a million soldiers could take you from me._

Blaine sang with such a conviction that Kurt found tears coursing down his own cheeks.

_My love,_

_The reason I survive,_

_Trust we'll be together soon_

_Should our fire turn to dark,_

_Take my heart with you._

_You… Ahhh…Ahhh…Ooo…_

Blaine's voice grew louder and louder and passion was saturating each and every syllable that fell from his mouth. His piano playing remained soft though; barely a soundtrack in the background. Suddenly, he stopped playing all together and just turned his tearful eyes to the equally as wet eyes of his boyfriend, who remained tensely perched on the very edge of the sofa.

_My love,_

_The reason I survive,_

_Trust we'll be together soon_

_Should our fire turn to dark,_

_Take my heart with you._

Kurt stood, and slowly began walking towards Blaine; eyes never breaking contact.

_Take my heart with you._

Kurt reached the piano and stood in front of Blaine's tearful form; eyes still held captive by those hazel depths. Blaine gazed up at him with innocence and love and even a hint of fear. This song was dredging up the feelings of being unwanted by the one person you want more than anything. One last time, Blaine pleaded:

_Take my heart with you._

Both boys stood in the silence, eyes locked. Slowly, very slowly, Kurt cupped Blaine's face in between his hands and leaned down just as slowly. Blaine's large, expressive eyes watched his every move with the desperate need for acceptance. Wordlessly, Kurt leaned down and placed a small kiss on the tip of Blaine's nose.

He heard the slightly shorter boy exhale with relief and his rigid body instantly sagged with contentment. His hands came up to take hold of Kurt's wrists and keep them in place; leaning his forehead against Kurt's.

He chuckled lightly, "I thought I said no kissing on the first date?" his voice came out a husky whisper, as the tears still stained his voice.

Kurt returned the chuckle and pulled back to look Blaine in the eyes playfully. "Oh trust me babe, you'll know when I kiss you for real." He winked with a smile still in place and Blaine couldn't keep his own smile from spreading across his face.

After a few more seconds of dopily grinning at one another, Blaine cleared his throat and stood, offering his arm to Kurt.

"Now, we have a date to go on, don't we?"

"I don't know, you planned it." Kurt replied sassily, throwing a smile over his shoulder as he began dragging Blaine alongside him.

_I picked a keeper, _Blaine smiled, matching Kurt's long strides as he lead Kurt to the parking lot for their first date.

**A/N: This song is "My heart with You" by The Rescues. It's normally sung A Cappella, but I thought it would suit Blaine better to play a little, light piano with it. The lyrics are beautiful and I hope you'll check it out. Any who, just to let you guys know, I'm planning on ending this fanfic soon. There are probably around 5 more chapters in it, but I'm not entirely sure. I'm not going to go into second semester, unless I ever do a sequel, which his pretty unlikely, but I'm not going to say never. Next chapter is the date…which I haven't written yet…because I don't know what they're going to do yet…Any ideas? Review or PM me! Love you all!**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Hey everybody! I finally have a new chapter for you! Huzzah! I hope you enjoy it, because I have to admit that I had a lot of fun writing it. Once again, thanks to all of you who continue to read and review and favorite and follow and all that good stuff! Also, I believe this story is currently at 95 reviews; let's get it to 100! Anyways, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 29**

Hands entwined on the center counsel, small smiles on their lips, the radio playing gently in the background, the sound of the car running smoothly down the road. Years down the road, these would be the little things that they remembered; Kurt was sure of it as he felt Blaine gently squeeze his hand instinctually.

Sure, perhaps Blaine had a penchant for getting a little over exuberant over some unnecessary things, but Kurt couldn't find it in him to be annoyed. In fact, in was sort of adorable; endearing even. So, even though Blaine had practically locked himself in his room for almost 2 days, Kurt was amazed that he was doing it all for him.

Yes, Kurt could happily go along with this whole "first date" scenario, but at the end of the day, he couldn't deny that he _knew _the man he was going out with. He knew him better than perhaps anyone else he had ever had any sort of relationship with; be that friendship or a member of his family. And it didn't change the fact that Blaine knew more about him than he had ever allowed anyone to learn.

So this is where the fun began, because Kurt knew what Blaine liked. He knew what made him squirm and moan and loose his breath. He was learning more and more every day, but he already had a small arsenal built up. So Kurt decided that he couldn't_ really_ help it if he teased Blaine; _Just a little _he reasoned.

"Now, I know you're not a huge fan of this," Blaine said, turning his body slightly to face Kurt in the passenger seat, "but for the sake of our first date, could you please just stay in your seat?" He slapped on a puppy dog pout for good measure at the last minute.

Kurt sighed, feigning annoyance, but he couldn't fully repress his smile, "Fine, if I must."

As Blaine grinned and climbed out of the car, Kurt finally realized that they had parked in front of a tiny little Italian restaurant. The wooden awning was wrapped up in small white lights and the windows positively glowed with warmth and comfort; Kurt could tell that the majority of the lighting came from candles. It looked like a little stone cottage straight out of a fairytale, complete with ivy crawling up the side. It was absolutely charming.

Blaine opened Kurt's door with a flourish and held out his hand to help Kurt out of the car. Kurt giggled a little and held back his eye roll; allowing Blaine to be the dapper man that he was. Kurt decided it was worth it when Blaine's grin nearly doubled in size, threatening to split his face in two.

Blaine opened the door for Kurt and waited until he stepped through before following behind and walking straight up to the host stand where a young man stood, smiling pleasantly.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

"Hi," Blaine replied pleasantly, "we have a reservation for 2 at 7 p.m."

"Alright, and what name would that be under, sir?"

"Hummel-Anderson."

Kurt was sure that his heart stopped for at least a few full seconds. _Hummel-Anderson._ He tried out the words in his mind and found that they sounded amazing echoing around in his head. _Hummel-Anderson. _

The host quickly scanned a list on his podium before finding what he was looking for and gesturing for the two men to follow him.

The host led them to a booth at the back of the restaurant that was in the far corner; relatively secluded for a small restaurant with not a whole lot of space.

"Your waiter should be with you shortly," informed the host, before he nodded politely and returned to his post at the front of the building.

"Hummel-Anderson..." Kurt muttered quietly, a small smirk on his lips as he toyed idly with the rolled up silverware in front of him; He had just needed to say the words out loud, at least once. They felt incredible in his mouth and sounded like the sweetest music as the sound waves reached his ears.

"You like it?" Blaine asked quietly with a smile pulling at his lips and ducking his head bashfully.

"Mm'hm." Kurt assured just as quietly; eyes still not reaching up to find Blaine's. Each of them kept their faces turned down, trying to hide their smiles and giddiness, but failing miserably.

"How did you even find this place?" Kurt asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them, "it's so little and quaint; I love it." He assured Blaine, who promptly broke into a wide grin.

"My parents took me here once, a long time ago. I was probably around 6 or 7 at the time. We had been driving home from visiting family in Columbus when we all got super hungry." Blaine's eyes misted over with the memory as he remembered this little happy memory of his parents before things had become uncomfortable with them; before he had come out. "My mom refused to stop at a roadside diner, claiming they were for truckers and teen-moms." He chuckled a little at his mother's judgmental comment, shaking his head ever so slightly. "We were getting dangerously close to eating the weakest link when we stumbled across this little place." Blaine's eyes finally regained focus as he looked back to Kurt and came out of his memory. "We only went that one time, but it was easy to remember where it was and I know you like Italian food, but you described Breadstix as, and I believe these are your exact words, 'A depressing teen hang out that desperately wants to be classy, but ultimately fails because A.) It's in Lima, Ohio, B.) It's managed by a man who also owns Doug's Pawn Palooza, and C.) The upholstery on the booths is louder than that of a 70's hotel room wallpaper.' And we all know how you hate to clash with the décor." Blaine teased.

Kurt laughed a real, full laugh; absolute joy building up inside of him. "Oh wow, I'm _funny_!" he teased with a light in his eyes.

There waiter arrived at that moment and asked for their drink order.

"I'll just have water." Blaine requested.

"And can I get an iced tea, please?" Kurt asked.

"You most certainly can." The waiter smiled; shooting Kurt a quick wink before turning away to retrieve their drinks.

"Seriously?!" Blaine whined, staring at the back of the retreating waiter with wide eyes, "I mean, really!?"

"What?" Kurt asked, faking ignorance.

Blaine, not picking up on the faking turned to Kurt with large, disbelieving eyes. "Oh, come on, Kurt! He was totally hitting on you!" He huffed out a sigh before muttering, "some people have no manners. I mean, we're obviously on a date."

"Weeeelll," Kurt mused playfully, drawing senseless patterns on the table top with his index finger, "I don't know if it's _obvious _really."

Kurt slowly dragged the tip of his boot-clad foot up Blaine's shin while nailing the boy to his spot with a smoldering gaze.

"But we could make it obvious." Kurt all but purred.

Blaine had to bite back the whimper that threatened to fall from his lips. However, he couldn't stop the shiver than ran up his spine in tantalizing tingles.

When Blaine regained his composure a few moments later, he looked back into Kurt's eyes with a teasing glint nestled in his hazel orbs.

"Hey, first date, remember? I'm trying to be a gentleman here."

"Gentle's nice, but I'm in the mood for rough." All traces of baby penguin were gone from Kurt now as he looked at Blaine with open longing and lust.

Naturally, the waiter picked that moment to sidle up to their table and ask if they were ready to order. Seeing as how Blaine was busy trying to stop stuttering and pick his jaw up off the floor, Kurt took the initiative and ordered Eggplant parmesan for himself and penne pasta in a basil pesto sauce for Blaine.

"I'll get that for you right away," the waiter smiled down at Kurt before going as far as to rest his hand lightly on Kurt's shoulder.

Blaine's hand shot out, quick as lightning, to claim Kurt's hand that was resting on the table top. He silently shot daggers at the waiter who glanced at their intertwined hands and, almost guiltily, removed his hand from Kurt and walked away.

Kurt couldn't help but giggle a little and give Blaine's hand a little squeeze, "Oh, my hero," he deadpanned with a playful smirk.

Blaine just shrugged his shoulders like _whattcha gonna do? _ And reached his other hand across the table to cradle one of Kurt's hands in both of his.

"So," Blaine began, looking at the tangle of fingers in front of him and lovingly stroking Kurt's soft skin with his thumbs, "I know that this," he gestured around to the tiny candle lit facility with soft, romantic music filtering through the air, "is totally a first date cliché, but I wanted you to experience it. _I _wanted to experience it. So thanks for…_humoring _me." He smiled shyly up at Kurt. _Why am I so nervous? _Blaine wondered silently. This whole first date thing must be messing with his mind.

A soft, musical laugh slipped through the counter tenors lips as he looked up to catch Blaine's gaze and hold it. "Only for you." He said with a smile. Yet there was so much honesty in that small statement that Blaine felt his insides turn to goo.

"Plus," Kurt continued, finally bringing up his second hand to lie on top of their entwined hands, "it _is _sort of fun. I mean, the candles, the door holding, the admiring waiter; what more could I ask for?"

Blaine pretended to look shocked at the last item on the list. He untangled one of his hands and set it on his chest with a look of mock surprise and scoffed in disbelief.

"Hey, don't think that I'm the only one with an admirer!" Kurt giggled. At Blaine's raised eyebrow, Kurt slyly pointed to a table across the restaurant, adding, "You seem to have a fan."

Blaine slowly turned around, trying to make it look like he was searching for their waiter or appreciating the décor. Following Kurt's finger his eyes fixed on a young girl staring at him with awe. She couldn't have been older than 14 or 15 and boasted some pretty big glasses, and most likely hid some braces in that mouth. Her hair looked as though it hadn't ever been introduced to a brush, and sort of resembled a bird's nest in color and texture. In truth, she was probably going to be fairly pretty one day, however today was not that day; her awkward phase was in full swing.

The girl noticed Blaine's staring and quickly smiled a huge smile, which, yes, was adorned with braces. He looked as though she were going to start waving frantically when her parents said something to her. With a start she turned back to them and then, fast as she could, shot Blaine a clumsy wink over her shoulder, which looked more like an isolated face spasm.

"Oh dear God…" Blaine mumbled, slowly turned back to Kurt with a look of utter confusion and shock on his face.

Kurt couldn't help but bust out laughing as Blaine turned redder and redder.

"Hey, hey," Kurt finally gasped through his giggles, "don't look so flustered! You have to get used to people like that; their only admiring your perfection." Kurt quieted on the latter half and his eyes visibly darkened with desire. He lazily dragged his finger nails lightly down Blaine's exposed forearm, eliciting another shiver and whimper from the slightly shorter man.

"Kurt," he said in low, tense voice, "you're making it harder and harder to be dapper."

"Good." Kurt replied, still pinning him down with that dark gaze.

Their food finally arrived and they dug in. Dinner was delicious despite Blaine's comment that it looked as though Nickelodeon had slimed his dinner, but he ended up loving it.

Blaine left a rather small tip, not too happy with their waiter, as Kurt just smiled and rolled his eyes lovingly. Blaine threw his coat on and quickly scooped up Kurt's, holding it open for him.

They made their way out of the restaurant and, by some unspoken agreement, linked arms and started walking alongside the dark road, instead out to the parking lot until they found a small trail leading out into the forest.

"You know," Kurt mused, "if this was a traditional first date, then I probably wouldn't go walking with a virtual stranger out into the deep, dark, seclude woods."

Blaine chuckled lightly and nodded, "I'm glad that you've grasped the concept of stranger danger."

"I also learned not to do drugs, stay in school, reading is cool, and always listen to your parents!" Kurt mimicked a small, elementary aged kid as he said this; full of enthusiasm.

Once again, a laughed escaped Blaine, but soon died away and his face was overcome with contemplation.

"I'm glad I didn't listen to my parents," he said quietly.

Kurt knew that Blaine's parents didn't really approve of him being gay and that his father wasn't opposed to landing a fist on Blaine's cheek every now and again, but he also knew that Blaine preferred not to talk about it. So Kurt remained silent, giving Blaine the time he needed.

"If I had listened to them, I never would have met you." He kept his gaze straight ahead as they slowly walked down the trail. "I would still be in some public school getting the crap kicked out of me, living in constant fear that my dad would have a bad day and take it out on me." He didn't speak for nearly a minute, but when he did, he whispered, "If I had listened to my parents- listened to the slurs and the hate and disgust- If I had listened to my parents, I wouldn't be alive right now."

Kurt tensed at Blaine's words and tightened his arm around Blaine's; clinging on desperately to the man he loved.

"I would have ended it all a long time ago." He whispered brokenly.

Kurt couldn't stop the cry that slid through his lips. He couldn't help it. The thought of Blaine not being here, and not even _here _here, but here as in, not on this planet, scared Kurt more than he thought possible.

Kurt suddenly stopped and turned his body to face Blaine. He placed his hand firmly over Blaine's mouth; not sure if he would be able to hear anymore.

Blaine just looked up at him with large, expressive eyes that said so many things from _I love you _to _I'm scared _to _please, whatever you do, don't let go. _

Kurt gently used his other hand to find Blaine's. He guided Blaine's hand up to rest on top of his heart. Blaine tentatively pressed against Kurt's chest, eyes glued to his hand. Then he pressed against Kurt's chest with some certainty, feeling Kurt's heart beating steady and healthy. The tears that had been welling up in his eyes spilled over noiselessly as his eyes flew up to Kurt's.

Kurt then slowly placed the hand that wasn't over Blaine's lips over Blaine's heart. He pressed firmly to feel the _thump thump _of his loves heart.

Eyes never leaving each other's, Kurt finally spoke. "I'm in love with you." He stated simply, hoping that his eyes conveyed the magnitude of his words. He kept his voice soft yet solid and full of purpose. "And I need you," his voice began to waver as his own tears blazed a trail down his cheeks. Now he matched Blaine, who was trembling slightly under Kurt's touch and the weight of his words, "so please don't make me live without you."

Kurt gasped as the words left his mouth. He whimpered and finally removed his hand from Blaine's trembling lips.

With soupy hazel eyes Blaine leaned forward to grasp Kurt's face frantically between his hands, stroking anywhere he could reach; his cheeks, his nose, his chin.

"No, no, no, I'm never going to leave you Kurt, never!" his breath came in gasps and hiccups, as did Kurt's. _Always so in sync, aren't we, _Blaine thought errantly.

Kurt released a choked sob and collapsed into Blaine's arms. He held on to Blaine's waist with a death grip as Blaine carded his hand through Kurt's hair over and over again. For once, Kurt didn't care.

"I'm not going to do that to you, babe, never, never. You give me a reason to stay, baby, I love you, I love you, I love you…"

Blaine kept muttering sweet nothings into Kurt's ear fervently and desperately as they clung to one another.

When their breathing finally slowed, they began to walk slowly back the way they had come. Only this time, walking proved to be a much harder feat seeing as how they were holding one another so close.

"So much for keeping it light and fun on the first date," Blaine teased, squeezing Kurt's fingers as they sped down the road back to Dalton.

Kurt laughed and nodded his agreement. "Yeah, we sort of suck at traditions, don't we? I mean, first off, we're gay, then we profess our love to one another _before _the first date, and then, _on _the first date, we have a mini break down of sorts."

Blaine laughs and nods his head as he slides into his parking space outside the dorms. He gets out of the car and opens Kurt's door one last time, surprised that the blue-eyed boy allowed him to, "Yeah, screw tradition."

Instantly, Kurt's eyes cloud with lust as he nearly growls, "Oh, I'm so glad you said that." Is a second, Kurt's stood up and grabbed Blaine by the front of his shirt, and glued their mouths together in a passionate kiss that practically steamed.

"Oh God, Blaine!" Kurt moaned deliciously, as Blaine plunged his tongue deep into his boyfriend's mouth.

"Upstairs?" the curly headed boy asks urgently.

"Please." Kurt moans again.

Together, not breaking the kiss, they stumble up the stair well, stopping at every landing to pin each other up against a wall and feel the wonder of each other.

They finally arrived at their floor and burst through the door, mouths still clinging to one another desperately as they suck down each other's moans and groans.

Blaine can feel his hands positively itching to remove Kurt's shirt and feel that gloriously soft skin, but he pulls away when he hears the hoots and hollers of his friends.

"Get it Kurt!" Wes calls while David lets out a few wolf whistles.

"Oh my God, at least wait until you get into the room!" Jeff laughs.

Blaine doesn't even have the mental capacity to be embarrassed as his eyes look up to see Kurt's completely dilated and lust blown.

Kurt gives him a sexy wink and steps out of Blaine's embrace to link the fingers of one of their hands together loosely. He walks down the hall calmly, swinging his hips seductively, pulling Blaine behind him and opens his dorm room door, towing Blaine inside.

As soon as the door shuts, Kurt pins Blaine against it plants an achingly slow kiss on Blaine's neck.

Blaine can't calm the moan that bubbles up from his throat and lightly claws his hands down Kurt's lean back.

"I guess we should slow down some," Kurt purrs, eyelashes tangling lightly with Blaine's at their proximity, "after all, we have all night."

**A/N: Time to bust out the Barry White, kids! What did you think of the date? Please, please, please review and let me know! Let's get this story to 100 reviews; we're so stinking close! And, as always, feel free to PM me! Love you guys! **


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Alright, so who's ready for some numbers!? At this moment in time, this story has been favorited 57 times, is followed by 143 people, is included in 2 communities, has a total of 26,843 views, and 102 REVIEWS! Thank you so, so much for getting me to (and beyond) 100 reviews! As my thanks to you, I've posted this little mini chapter of sorts that continues where we left off in Chapter 29. Also, I wrote a little one shot that is title, "We are Golden". It's just a short, fun little idea I had bouncing around my head. If you go to my profile you can find it there. That is also for you guys, because you're all totally awesome (Aw yeah, Starkid reference)! Once again, thanks, and Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own glee. Also, I'm pretty sure this chapter is officially rated M, so heads up!**

**Chapter 30**

Blaine's desire skyrocketed as Kurt began to press kiss after achingly slow kiss into the sensitive skin of his neck. He squirmed this way and that to allow Kurt the best access possible as gasps escaped his mouth.

Finally regaining some of his motor functions, Blaine pushed off of the door and stumbled forward into Kurt as he hastily fastened his mouth onto the countertenor's, who let out a squeak of surprise. Blaine's hands roughly shoved the crimson cardigan to the ground and then gently began playing with the hem of Kurt's shirt. He quickly decided that he needed Kurt's shirt off _now, _and yanked it over his boyfriends head.

Kurt seemed to like this idea as he nearly tore Blaine's shirt off of his body and pulled the boy across the room towards his bed.

They fell down on the bed with Kurt on the bottom, Blaine landing on top with a grunt. Taking advantage of his position, Blaine quickly wound his fingers through Kurt's and pulled them up over the taller boy's head. Slowly slipping his fingers out of their loose grasp, Blaine began to sensuously slide down Kurt's long, lean body. Kurt lay breathless and limp underneath his gorgeous boyfriend.

Blaine licked and sucked on various parts of Kurt's chest, pulling ragged moans from his lips. He made dark marks all over the precious porcelain skin, from the collar bone down to his abs. When he finally reached the waist band of Kurt's skinny jeans he flicked his gaze up to find Kurt looking down towards Blaine, panting with arousal and completely vulnerable for him.

Blaine felt his heart swell as he slowly slid up Kurt's body, causing the boy to moan rather loudly and arch his back as Blaine's erection lined up with his own.

Blaine rested his chin on the boyfriends heaving chest and staring lovingly up at him until Kurt's fluttering eyes finally locked with his.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Blaine clarified, double checking to make sure that he wasn't just making assumptions.

Kurt actually paused for a moment to give the question some real thought; after all it was an extremely important question and it deserved some inquiry.

"More than you know," Kurt replied softly, with such heartbreaking honesty that Blaine was almost sure he was falling in love all over again. Except this time it wasn't over months and months of slow realization; it was in the blink of an eye. The intensity blinded him for a moment as he felt this cascade of emotion rock him violently, all the way to his soul.

"Are you sure?" Kurt asked. He didn't want to push Blaine into something he wasn't ready for.

Just as Kurt had done, Blaine stopped for a moment to really assess his feelings and wants. And what he felt? He felt Kurt underneath him. He felt his breath hitting his face as the gazed down at him. He felt the love and truth in Kurt's words and in every action. And everything felt so indefinably _right_.

"Yes." Blaine breathed. It came out vulnerable and raw.

Then tension that was being sparked by their words could have been suffocating, but it only seemed to fuel their excitement.

Kurt's face blossomed into an absolutely joyous smile as he flipped them over. Landing on top, Kurt straddled Blaine, grinning down devilishly at the flustered look on Blaine's face. He took in Blaine's completely disheveled appearance; his hair was an absolutely gorgeous mess of curls, light beads of sweat were beginning to collect on his forehead and his flushed face boasted some deliciously kiss swollen lips. His hazel eyes were all but black now as he gazed at Kurt with hunger.

Kurt ran his hands down Blaine's incredibly sculpted chest and abs before grabbing the buckle of his belt and tugging slightly.

Blaine whimpered in response; already so eager.

Kurt mercifully shed Blaine of his pants before shimmying out of his own. Soon their boxers joined the rest of the clothes on the floor and they lie together, bare as could be; physically_ and_ emotionally.

They experimented, they teased, they moaned and giggled and gasped and it was all so exciting and new. But most importantly, every action showed love, adoration and caring. All fears and insecurities subsided because, here, in this moment, they were safe; they were loved.

*~Line Break~*

*~Meanwhile~*

"Oh wow, I think I'm scarred for life," David managed to say through his laughter as Kurt pulled Blaine into his room.

They all heard something slam into the inner side of Kurt's dorm room door and followed by a very faint moan.

"Thank God for good insulation. I don't really want to hear what we all know is going to happen tonight…" Wes said in a voice so full of relief.

They all burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs and falling all over the couch in the floor's common room.

"You have to admit though, it _was_ sort of hot." Nick piped up giving Jeff a suggestive look, up through his lashes.

"I don't know if watching Blaine suck off Kurt's face in their little floor play is- and there they go," Wes said as Jeff grabbed Nick's hand and began jogging down the hall towards his room. Nick turned around, hand still in Jeff's as he dragged him into a jog, with a huge smile, and shot Wes and David a thumbs up. Jeff was obviously not happy with the miniscule slowdown from Nick turning around. As a result, right as they rounded the corner, Wes and David saw Jeff throw Nick over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Nick yelped and giggled as they disappeared quickly around the bend.

Wes and David sat in silence, just staring in disbelief down the hall.

"And then there were two…" David muttered.

Wes nodded and then, after a minute or two of silence, declared, "We really need to get some straight friends. You know, ones that aren't dating each other and being extremely…" Wes pondered for the right word.

"Coupley?" David offered.

"Coupley-ness." Wes automatically corrected.

"Okay, you seriously need to stop pushing that." David warned, giving Wes a 'seriously, dude?' look.

Wes just shrugged it off.

"And we _do _have straight friends. I have you and you have me." David commented, returning to the actual topic of discussion.

"First off that would be straight _friend, _no 's', we only have each other. And even we're questionable David." Wes said with a sigh.

"I can't help it if I like to cuddle!" David replied with an exasperated sigh.

"Hey, I get it!" Wes supported, laying a hand of David's shoulder, "there's a reason that my family called me Snuggles until I was 17!"

"But you _are _17." David said, calling him out with wide eyes.

"Yeah…" Wes blushed, obviously embarrassed by his nickname. "But, you know,…Football!" Wes blurted out the first thing that sounded manly, not even attempting a segue.

David, also aware of how girly their conversation was turning out, cried, "Call of Duty!"

"And…Nachos!"

"And explosions!"

"Let's go watch Die Hard and eat greasy junk food and not care about the mess we make and then we'll play video games until out thumbs break, or something equally painful and manly!"

"Yeah!" David encouraged as they stood and ran to their room.

*~Line Break~*

The Saturday sun slowly crested the horizon and began to filter through the small cracks in between the slats in Kurt's blinds.

Kurt's final suppressed scream died out in the room only to be replaced by a similar scream of Blaine's as the pair collapsed down on the bed in a sweaty mess. The covers had been pushed to the foot of the bed a long time ago, and now they lay, chests heaving as they fought to catch their breath.

"God, Blaine…" Kurt whispered in a daze.

"I know what you mean…" Blaine said in the same sort of daze, "it just gets better and better…"

In the stillness of the aftermath, Kurt noticed the faint light trying to sneak into the room. He realized that they had been up all night making love to each other. A lazy smile spread across his face as he thought of the previous night. He rolled over to place a sloppy kiss on Blaine's collar bone, paying special attention to a red patch he had been working on throughout the night.

"Kurt," Blaine groaned, hands instantly reaching up to rest on the slender boy's lower back, "You can't do that, I'm tired!" He whined exhaustedly, even though his grip tightened on the boy draped over him.

"That didn't stop you last time…or the time before…" he smiled seductively.

Blaine groaned a loud, ragged noise of frustration and want as he flipped over to pin Kurt beneath him. The press of their completely naked forms, covered in sweat didn't necessarily help to calm either of them down, but Blaine kept Kurt still by holding both of Kurt's hands above his head, pinning them to the bed.

"Jesus, Kurt, you're so fucking sexy, I can hardly stand it," Blaine leaned down to crush his mouth down onto Kurt's waiting lips. He sucked hard and long, actively trying to pull moans from his lover's mouth. "Correction," Blaine whispered against his boyfriend's lips, "I _can't _stand it."

And with that, Blaine rolled off of Kurt and curled securely into his side, completely spent from the nights activities.

Kurt, who was still winded from the mind blowing kiss Blaine had just administered, was too flustered to even complain. Kurt's tensed frame finally went slack on the mattress as the adrenaline finally fizzled out some and was replaced with an extreme sense of satisfaction.

"I love you," Kurt said for the millionth time that night.

"I love you too," Blaine reminded him with a sleepy smile.

Reaching down to grab the rumpled sheet from the bottom of the bed, Blaine lazily spread it over themselves as they quickly and easily drifted to sleep at 6 in the morning.

**A/N: So, what did you think? Just because we hit 100 reviews doesn't mean I don't want to hear from you, so please, as always, review or PM me! Love you guys!**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Whoa, so long time no…see? Er…write? Oh, I don't know, but you know what I mean, you know? Lol : )! Sorry it's taken me so freaking long to update! I've been crazy busy + I tore the muscle tissue on the top of my foot, so I've had to work around that + writer's block + I sort of got into a car wreck! So, needless to say, things have been INSANE, with a capital…everything! I just needed to get this chapter to you! I missed my fanfic family! So this is for you! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 31**

The sun grew in strength as in slowly built in brightness behind the blinds. The room remained mostly dark though, and rather chilly as it was the middle of November.

Kurt gently woke from his peaceful slumber and tried to roll over, only to find something blocking his path.

Groggily opening his eyes, they fell upon a gorgeous mop of chocolate brown curls that rested on top of the most beautiful face he had ever seen; eyes still closed and sleeping soundly.

The memories of the previous night flooded into the forefront of Kurt's mind, causing a heavy blush to spread across his cheeks as he nuzzled his nose gently against Blaine's. A lazy smile pulled at the corners of the shorter man's lips as he nuzzled back, still mostly asleep.

"Stay…" he breathed, never opening his hazel eyes and tightening his grip around Kurt's waist. Kurt only sighed in contentment and leaned his forehead back against Blaine's. That answer seemed to satisfy the sleepy man, for that same lazy smile only grew a tad and then relaxed as fatigue pulled him completely under once more.

A few months ago, if you had asked Kurt Hummel where he would picture himself in the future he might have said a few different things. If it was a good day, he would tell of his plans to attend NYADA and grace the Broadway stage with his soaring counter tenor and sassy personality. He would wine and dine with the finest in New York City, which he would call home, naturally. He would see the world and perform at various theatres and venues all while fitting in trips to visit his family whenever time permitted. On a bad day, he would either say that he pictured himself still living in Lima, still living in fear, still living in oppression, working at his dad's tire shop with the label 'Lima Loser' permanently hung over his head like a pessimistic thundercloud. Either that or 6 feet under; his bullies finally making good on their threats.

However, no matter what scenario he described, he was always, unfailingly, indisputably, alone. He had never even pictured someone loving him. Convincing himself, without even realizing it, that he was never going to be held and made to feel like he mattered.

But oh how wrong he had been.

This man, the one clinging to him even in sleep, loved him. And, simply put, it blew Kurt's mind.

"You're too good to be true…" Kurt murmured softly, gazing lovingly at the boy curled against his chest. He let his fingers trail through the silky curls as he wished for the billionth time that Blaine would just ditch the gel altogether.

Blaine's smile returned to his face as he let out a small yawn and cracked his eyes open for the first time in hours. His smile only increased as he spotted Kurt's eyes on him and tugged the slender boy as close as he possibly could, practically pulling Kurt onto his chest and then rocking them over so that he lay partially on top of Kurt. Kurt just giggled and continued to run his fingers gently through the tangle of hair on Blaine's head.

"Morning," Blaine whispered in a voice husky with sleep. He leaned down barely an inch, seeing as how close their faces already were, and gave Kurt a soft, loving kiss.

"Hi," Kurt whispered back, almost shyly; a bashful smile tugging at his lips.

"What time is it?" Blaine questioned, his face buried in Kurt's neck as he nipped and kissed the sensitive skin there.

Throwing a quick glance at the bedside table, Kurt answered, "10 in the morning," a little breathlessly, before letting out a shaky laugh and dragging his nails lightly down Blaine's back and hitching his leg up over Blaine's hip. "I thought you were tired?"

Blaine chuckled, sending vibrations down Kurt's throat that made him groan quietly underneath. "I was…and then I slept for a few hours…and I'm young…and you're naked…"

"Ahhh, I see," Kurt teased, placing a hand on either side of Blaine's face. He pulled him down to plant a kiss on him when someone started banging on the door.

"The only acceptable reason for you two to still be in your pajamas at 10 a.m. is watching Saturday cartoons!" Wes yelled from the hallway; he had always been an early riser and expected the rest of the world to join him.

Knowing that the guys probably already knew about the events of last night, considering the fairly intense make out session on the way to Kurt's room last night, Blaine decided to have some fun. "Don't worry Wes, we aren't still in our pajamas…"

Kurt slapped a hand over his mouth to suppress the giggles exploding from his mouth, as tears of amusement welled up in his eyes when a strange choking noise came from the other side of the door.

"I SO did not need to hear that!" Wes cried. You could practically hear the blush in his voice.

"Didn't need to hear what?" David asked, apparently wondering up beside Wes at their door.

Before Wes could respond, Blaine threw his head back in feigned ecstasy and nearly yelled, "Oh, Kurt, don't stop! Don't stop!"

To this, David let out an absolutely mortified sounding squeak and Wes cried something reminiscent of "retreat". Their footsteps thundered down the hall, but not fast enough to avoid hearing Kurt moan, "Blaine, baby, right there, baby…oh God!"

The two broke down in a fit of utterly ridiculous cackles, nearly falling out of bed before deciding that they really should get out of it.

*~Line Break~*

Upon emerging from Kurt's dorm about 40 minutes later, the two boys made their way to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast before they put it away. Due to the late hour, the cafeteria was nearly empty, giving them a little normal, "couple" time before facing their friends face to face.

Hand in hand they made their way to the Warblers' rehearsal room to find Wes absentmindedly stroking his gavel with David just watching his hand as if he were looking straight through it.

"Hey guys," Kurt greeted softly, feeling a little bad about teasing them earlier…but only a little.

The pairs' eyes shot up so fast, it was almost comical. They both took to gaping like a fish out of water; not entirely sure how to approach their friends anymore.

"I thought you were all for 'Klaine'?" Blaine questioned, raising an eyebrow at the name they had provided his relationship with.

"Doesn't mean I want to hear you two…going at it!" David panicked, "I mean, seriously?!"

"David, calm down," Kurt assured, "we were kidding."

David eyed them suspiciously, "And _nothing _happened?" Wes stared at them with narrowed eyes as well, disbelief clearly defining his expression.

Both Kurt and Blaine blushed as Blaine spoke, head turned down shyly, "Well…I wouldn't call it…_nothing_…But what you heard was fake." Blaine face only became more and more red as he fumbled through his sentence.

Deciding to believe their friends, Wes and David's narrowed gazes widened into glinting smirks as they returned to the precocious teens everyone knew.

"Soooo…did you have fun?"

"Okay, I'm leaving," Kurt said, blush still firmly in place, as he made his way to the door.

Blaine made to follow but was yanked back by Wes, who continued to launch embarrassing questions his way.

"I'm sorry Blaine, but I've decided to jump ship!" Kurt gave the pouting boy a silly salute and slipped out of the room. He giggled as he worked his way to the courtyard, determined to stroll in the absolutely beautiful sunny day. Even if it was November.

The halls were deserted, seeing as how most of the boys had gone home for the weekends, but Kurt sort of liked the silence that graced the usually noisy corridors. He worked his way back to his dorm to grab a coat when he accidentally ran straight into a boy who was rounding the corner.

"Sorry!" Kurt immediately apologized as he looked up to find piercing blue eyes staring back at him.

Jude stood in front of him, completely still, eyes wide with uncertainty.

A few tense seconds passed as neither of them moved even a fraction of an inch.

Kurt cleared his throat warily before lightly teasing, "It's like a repeat of how we met."

Jude supplied a terse nod of the head and dropped his eyes to the ground, fidgeting nervously. Gone was the confidence he had always exuded. Gone was his arrogant smirk and cocky walk. It was alarming the complete shift his demeanor seemed to have taken. He seemed beaten down and broken; a mere shell of who he once was. Kurt hadn't talked to him since the night of the attack, but he remembered the look in Jude's eyes as he asked the sky 'Who would want him?' That phrase had lingered in the back of Kurt's mind along with the slump of his shoulders and the dejected look on his face. But never once had Kurt imagined that posture to become permanent. He had imagined that after the adrenaline and stress of that night wore off, Jude would, more or less, be back to his old self. But the dullness that was laden over those shocking blue eyes was proof that something had changed.

"Jude," Kurt said quietly, waiting for the taller boy to lift his head. When he finally did, Kurt locked their gazed, "I never got a chance to properly say thank you for what you did that night. So, thank you."

Jude just offered another quick nod, "Dave's an ass, I should know."

Kurt felt his eyes harden some at the name, but kept his composure. "What do you mean, 'you should know'?"

Jude immediately dropped his gaze to the floor and began to shuffle uncomfortably in his spot. The moment his eye's glanced up shyly to Kurt's, a shiver travelled up the countertenor's spine.

"Jude?" Kurt asked cautiously, "Did Dave do something to you?" He wasn't even sure if he really wanted to know, but this wasn't about him, Kurt reminded himself, _It's about Jude. He did save me after all…let's hope I don't have to return the favor._

Jude's whole body had frozen at the question as he clenched his fists tightly by his side. The silence seemed to stretch on forever, but Kurt just waited patiently as Jude seemed to be fighting a war in his head.

"Look, I know Karofsky can be mean, bu-"

"Mean!?" Jude suddenly yelled, his hesitancy broken. "Oh please, Kurt! He _loved _you! If anything, he held back on you! You have no idea! To him, I'm just the worthless fuck buddy who is called when wanted!"

Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jude and Karofsky were…dating? No, not dating, that implied some level of emotional commitment and connection. What Dave was doing was cruel and manipulative.

"Jude, you don't have to go to him." Kurt pressed urgently, "you can say no."

Jude scoffed and rolled his eyes. For a moment he looked like the old Jude that Kurt had remembered. "And if I say no then who do I have Kurt? _You? _No, you've got you're darling little _Blaine_! Dave is the only one who would ever want something like me!" he spat angrily.

"You are _not _somet_hing!_" Kurt bellowed. He had felt this way before and he would be damned if he watched someone else go down that road. Even if that someone was Jude; after all, he wasn't all evil. "You are a person who deserves to be happy!"

"Easy for you to say," Jude laughed, "but drunken sex is the best I'm ever going to get, so if you'll excuse me, I have a 'date'." And with that, he pushed passed a dazed Kurt, leaving him standing in the suddenly cold hallway.

*~Line Break~*

"Hey, thanks for your little PDA last night," Jeff teased as he and Nick sat with Wes, David, and Blaine, nibbling on lunch, "It led to some pretty great things for Nick and I…" he trailed off suggestively, waggling an eyebrow.

Blaine only groaned and dropped his head onto the table.

"Oh, look who it is!" Wes called while David let out a huge cat-call.

Blaine raised his head to see Kurt approaching the table swiftly, arms crossed in front of him.

"Thanks for abandoning me!" Blaine teased, standing to greet his boyfriend. Only then did he realize the look of strife placed on his delicate features.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He questioned gently as Kurt finally reached him. He cupped Kurt's face in between his palms and searched the ever-changing eyes for answers.

"Just…" Kurt began, before gripped one of Blaine's wrists and pulling him away from the group.

"Kurt, what's wrong?" Blaine asked again, worry evident in his eyes and voice. He gently stroked his thumbs over the silky skin that stretched over Kurt's cheekbones.

"I ran into Jude-"

"What?! What did he do? I swear to God, I'll kill him if he-"

"Karofsky's hurting him!" Kurt blurted out. The force of his voice shoved he tears that had already brewed behind his eyelids to leak out.

Blaine faltered for a moment, not sure how to proceed as the shock of Kurt's words fizzled through him. "Hurting him? What do you mean?"

Kurt finally broke out of Blaine's loosened grasp and started pacing frantically as the tears continued to slip down his face noiselessly. "When Jude saved me, Karofsky told him that no one would ever want him. Apparently Jude believed him and now, he's just letting Karofsky…_use him!_" Kurt's entire body felt like it was on vibrate as he shakily tried to explain his reaction.

"I know what it's like to feel worthless Blaine, I've been there, and Karofsky was a big part of it!"

Blaine felt tears beginning to prick at his own eyes as he watched the taller boy's eyes melting in a river down his face. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder, willing him to stop. To his complete surprise, Kurt pulled away, placing his hands in front of him.

"No, Blaine, this isn't about me! This is about Jude! He _saved _me, Blaine! He _saved _me! Yet, he feels like he isn't good enough for anything but meaningless, drunken sex? I refuse to believe that because he has done good before! He can be a _good _person when he isn't being an ass!" Kurt laughed a little hysterically but continued, "No one should feel worthless, no one, no one…" Kurt's legs finally gave out as he sunk to the ground in a heap, clutching his knees to his chest.

Blaine was scooping him up in an instant, cradling the boy's head as he cried. Blaine ran his fingers through the taller boy's hair as he made sympathetic noises and held him close.

"We'll stop him." Blaine said suddenly. The finality in his voice made Kurt freeze, tears forgotten.

Kurt just stared at him with wide eyes as he waited for Blaine to continue. "No one should feel worthless." Blaine agreed resolutely. "And Jude _did _save you." He shrugged a little as he helped Kurt stand, "this can be my thank you."

**A/N: And if you haven't guessed it already, we got another smack down coming up, ladies and gentlemen! Stay tuned! Just so you know, I'm planning on a max of 3 or 4 more chapters for this fanfic, but not to worry, I'm already starting to write a new one, and I would love it if you followed me on that journey too (wow, that was crazy sappy…oh well…)! I love all of you guys! PM or leave me a review!**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Hey everybody! I want to thank all of you who are still reading and reviewing and following or adding me or my story to your favorites! It means the world to me and it's why I plan to keep writing fanfics after this one is finished. Speaking of the ending of this story, we are getting pretty close, but I have a new story in the works don't worry ; )! As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 32**

The parking lot of Scandals still had plenty of cars in it for the late hour. Blaine glanced at the dashboard clock and saw that it was approaching mid-night, but shrugged his stiff shoulders to help keep himself awake. Chancing a glance at Kurt, he saw that the other boy was wide awake with his eyes practically glued to the entrance, just waiting for Jude and Karofsky to exit.

"So, Kurt?" Blaine began cautiously, "what exactly is the plan?"

Never moving his eyes from the door, Kurt just shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't really thought that far.

Blaine's eyes widened some as he stared at the counter tenor in disbelief. "So we're just going to waltz up to them in this dark parking lot and say what? Dave, you need to leave Jude alone?"

"Yeah sure, let's go with that." Kurt said, only half listening as two figures emerged out of the front doors. Kurt immediately tensed as he waited for the pair to walk under a street light. When they finally did enter a pool of the golden light, it was two middle aged men sucking face as they drunkenly stumbled to an obnoxiously large SUV and sped away at a rather dangerous speed.

Kurt's shoulders dropped a little but he remained ever vigilant.

"Kurt, you're vibrating." Blaine said, breaking the silence that drenched the atmosphere of the car.

Kurt peeled his eyes away from the club's entrance and began fumbling around for his phone; trying to wiggle it out of the pocket of his skinny jeans.

"No, not you're phone," Blaine chuckled, placing a hand on Kurt's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze of affection, "_you." _ Shifting his hand to lightly massage Kurt's tense neck he questioned, "What's on your mind?"

Kurt let out a long sigh as he relaxed the slightest bit into Blaine's touch. His eyes remained forward, but he answered. "Jude's…different…" Kurt began softly, "he's not the arrogant ass that he usually was. He isn't mean or overly aggressive or pushy…but he's also not sweet like he could be sometimes…" Kurt could feel Blaine's little massage stop for a moment and he slid Blaine a teasing smirk, "please Blaine, he's got nothing on you," and to that, Blaine smiled and resumed his fingers slow circles. "But…" Kurt bit his bottom lip, contemplating how he wanted to say this, "Jude wasn't _all _bad. Now, he's just…hollow, I guess. It's scary actually, because that could have been me."

Blaine's hand dropped to scoop up one of Kurt's and hold it snuggly as Kurt elaborated. "I had other bullies besides Karofsky, but do you know why he really got to me?" Blaine figured it had something to do with the kiss, but he just furrowed his brow and shook his head, allowing Kurt to answer fully. "The locker shoves hurt and the slushie facials stung like hell, but the bruises would heal and ice melts. But the words? Lady-face, fairy, queer, _fag? _Those hit your heart and they drag you down in a way their fist can't. Karofsky always used his words, because he saw what they did. For such a complete Neanderthal, he's really smart when it comes to breaking people down. And maybe it's because he does it to everyone, all the time, or maybe it's because he was just born with the talent of destruction, but I can tell you that I have never felt more insignificant than when I was under his gaze!"

Kurt could feel the angry tears beginning to slip silently down his face and cursed them for falling. He didn't really feel like crying right now; he felt like fighting.

At that moment, another couple stumbled out of the bar and into the street light's aiding glow. Karofsky had his big, bear-like hand around Jude's as he dragged him over to his car.

Kurt's eyes darkened immediately as he slipped his hand out of Blaine's and swiftly exited the car. Blaine followed his lead and fell into step beside Kurt, eyeing him warily as he saw the hatred grow on his face.

"He made me feel like I was worthless. Convinced me I would never achieve anything better than the hand I was dealt at that joke of a school." Kurt's paced quickened as he kept speaking in a low, smooth voice to Blaine who was trying to keep pace beside him. The tall brunettes blue eyes never leaving the pair that was ambling over to their car in a dark corner of the parking lot. "And you know what?" Kurt said, suddenly much louder, causing Karofsky and Jude's heads to whip around to the sound of the fast approaching voice.

Kurt's pace was now at a ridiculously fast stride that Blaine could only keep up with a light jog. "It won't happen to anyone else at the hands of this 'man'!" Kurt approached the confused duo without a hint of hesitancy as his arm swung around to connect his fist with the side of Karofsky's face.

Karofsky stumbled back into the rear of his car, holding his jaw, eyes wide with shock. But Kurt wasn't done. His hand may have hurt like hell, but he shoved that down and sent another punch for Karofsky's face.

Karofsky, accustomed to bar brawls and school yard squabbles, was quick to anticipate a follow up and caught Kurt's fist in one of his meaty hands. He yanked the counter tenor closer to identify the man who had attacked him. When he saw Kurt's livid face he smiled his drunken grin and pulled Kurt flush against his body.

"I always knew that you wanted me," Karofsky slurred as he began nibbling on Kurt's neck. "You just keep coming back," Kurt viciously fought back, screaming every insult in the book, "you always came back, slut."

Kurt suddenly felt himself being yanked back by the waist. A little disoriented, and still seeing red, he felt Blaine shove him back behind his own body and lunge at Karofsky, fists already balled up at his sides.

Blaine may have been a little short, but he fought with such precision, that Karofsky was a fairly even match.

"Keep your hands _off _of him!" Blaine said in a low voice that shook with rage.

It wasn't too hard for him to dodge the football player's flailing limbs as he drunkenly tried to strike Blaine. Blaine kept weaving in and out of the taller man's space to land a punch here and there, taking his anger out on the man for what he had done all those nights ago to Kurt. Blaine hadn't been there that night, but he was here now, and if he could get Kurt enough time to whisk Jude to safety _and _have the bonus of kicking Karofsky's ass, well then, why couldn't he have his cake and eat it too?

While Blaine slowly began to corner Karofsky, Kurt shifted his focus to the fourth member of their party. Kurt saw Jude standing stalk still, with his arms wrapped around himself as if he were bracing for an attack. His cold, blue eyes were wide as he watched the fight with equal parts fascination and confusion.

Kurt scurried over to him and placed a gentle hand on Jude's shoulders. The taller Warbler jumped a little at the contact but followed Kurt willingly when he gestured for him to follow.

Blaine had gotten Karofsky pinned against the back of the car. Blaine would have some tough to explain bruises in the morning, but Karofsky looked like his nose might be broken and a split lip to match. Blaine's eyes were consumed with fire as he roughly dropped the letterman jacket clad teen. Dave fell to the ground in a heap, clutching his face. However, the eyes that peeked out around his trembling hands were practically glowing with rage.

Kurt stepped forward, leaving Jude to once again stand on the outskirts of the confrontation.

"People are not toys,_ Dave_," Kurt said in a threatening voice. He walked closer until he was standing over Karofsky, "leave me _and _Jude alone. He doesn't need you."

"Fuck you, Hummel!" Karofsky spat, removing his hands to reveal the bloody mess his lower face had become. "You're such a tease and you know it! Always flaunting yourself around where ever you go! You were practically begging for it! Both of you were!"

Kurt lunged forward, arms outstretched with his hands clenched to resemble claws, but Blaine caught him around the waist just as his fingers connected with Dave's cheek, and upon being pulled back, Kurt's nails scratched long lines down the sides of Karofsky's face causing the man to shrink further into himself as he held his face in his pain. Too drunk to attempt standing, Karofsky remained seated.

"Have fun shoving people into lockers, and throwing slushies in their faces, and tossing them into dumpsters, because you know what?! High school ends! And then what will you have?" Kurt felt tears of pure passion building behind his eyes but they never escaped the confines of his eyes.

And with that, Kurt spun around on his heel, grabbed Blaine's hand and walked back to the car with Jude's hand firmly grasped in his other; head held high.

After ushering a stunned Jude into the backseat, Kurt piled himself back into the passenger seat as Blaine started the car and began driving back to Dalton.

The silence was absolute and a tad awkward.

"We'll bring you back here to get your car tomorrow." Blaine stated. Jude only nodded mutely from the back seat.

The road stretched on in front of their vehicle as the air remained devoid of sound; not even the radio was playing.

"Ew," Kurt muttered lightly, more to himself than anyone really. Blaine glanced over to see him staring down at his nails with disappointed scrutiny. "I got blood on my nails…I hope that doesn't stain…I'm going to need a manicure regardless…"

At that, Blaine burst out into loud guffaws that seemed to shake the very frame of the car. Leave it to Kurt to worry about the condition of his fingernails after a fight.

Kurt, however, didn't find the humor in the situation. "What? I can't help that I went all papa bear on him! It was instinctual! I always thought that the phrase 'seeing red' was just an exaggeration, but apparently it's not!"

Blaine only continued to laugh at Kurt's tirade, as the tall countertenor twisted in his seat to send a semi-serious glare in his boyfriend's direction.

"I'm glad you find this funny, Blaine, really, I'm delighted! But the state of my nails is rather important, and having them stained pink from my late night escapades in running rescue missions, is not acceptable! Now, I suggest you turn your attention back to the road before you either crash the car, or I'm forced to use my new found fighting skills to kick your ass!"

After a beat of silence, both Kurt and Blaine broke out into giggles, filling the car with relief and ease. The tension that had been floating in the air since the three of them had entered the car finally dissipated. They had rescued Jude, taught Karofsky a lesson, and escaped largely unscathed; that was a success by their standards.

Kurt caught Jude's eyes in the rearview mirror and saw him quickly divert them downward. Realizing that he was now staring at Kurt and Blaine's intertwined hands on the center counsel, Kurt smiled lightly.

The rest of the ride home was spent in comfortable silence. Kurt glanced periodically back at Jude's still figure. Every time, he was staring out the window, seemingly lost in his thoughts, except for the final glance Kurt took as Blaine guided the car through the large front gates of Dalton. Jude's eyes were watching Kurt and Blaine's hands as they still lay tangled together on the center counsel. His ice blue eyes had an edge of softness to them as he examined their hands.

Kurt felt a smile creep onto his face slowly as he felt Blaine absentmindedly run his fingers over his bruised knuckles. Kurt's long, slender fingers smoothed over the dark patches on Blaine's hand in response and he couldn't help but think that tonight had been a success.

**A/N: So? What did you think? Don't be shy! Review or PM me; you know I love to hear from all of you! And just so you know, the next chapter is going to be the last. I'm also going to write a short epilogue, but after that, Just one Look will have its status moved to Complete! Anywho, I love you guys and I hope you review or PM me!**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I know, I know, it's been WAY too long, but I'll be honest, I was putting off writing this final chapter, because I'm going to miss this story so much! It's my first fanfic; it's my baby! Plus, it's brought me all of you guys! To all of you who favorited, followed or reviewed, I thank you so, so much from the bottom of my heart. Really, you mean the world to me and I hope you stick around for anything else I write (because there **_**will **_**be other stories and one shots, believe me!) So guys…We made it! Here's the final chapter of "Just One Look"! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 33**

The cold of November became the even colder cold of December in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. The grounds of Dalton were bustling with activity as the students crammed for their final exams and tried to pack up the majority of their things before travelling home for the holidays.

The ever-lasting snow remained on the ground, where it had been for the past month without reprieve. Because of the white weather and chilly temperatures, the boys found themselves studying by the fireside whenever possible; trying (mostly in vain) to fight off the cold.

They had all gathered in the empty Warblers' rehearsal room to crack open the books and study until they either knew everything there was to know, or until Wes had a breakdown.

"Wait! Is this Calculus or theology?! Am I even _taking_ a theology class?!" Wes had his hands buried deep in his hair as he paced frantically back and forth in front of the fire. His eyes were panic stricken as they had been nearly all finals week. Grades had to equal perfection for poor Wes, pure and simple; there was no in between.

"Okay, Wes," David soothed calmly from where he sat in an armless chair, facing the roaring fireplace and his frenetic friend, "take a deep breath."

As Wes attempted to imitate David's examples of breathing, David stood up and placed a gentle hand on his friend's back and led him over to the chair he had just vacated. Pushing him down lightly, David explained, "Okay, good, now firstly, no, you are not taking a theology class. Dalton doesn't even offer one. So, by process of elimination, Calculus would seem to be the subject you're studying, considering sin. is the abbreviation for sine. Not sin as in misdeeds." He spoke slowly as if explaining something to a small child.

Wes nodded along with his brow still scrunched up in disbelieving contemplation.

Jeff just smirked at them from the love seat where he and Nick were quizzing each other with flashcards on important dates in history.

"Blaine!" David suddenly yelled, scolding the guilty looking Warbler who was seated on the couch. "What do you think you're doing?"

Blaine looked down at the book in his lap almost guiltily before muttering, "Nothing…" sounding achingly close to a child caught stealing a cookie before dinner.

David just raised an eyebrow to show his skepticism and crossed his arms authoritatively. "Blaine, you need to finish studying for Physics before cuddling with Kurt." David's eyes then flickered to the slender boy seated on the opposite side of the couch with his brow furrowed in concentration; completely oblivious of Blaine's attempt to slide across the couch and to his side.

Blaine let out an over-exaggerated sigh of frustration before whining, "Fine!"

Huffing out a sigh of his own, David turned his attention back to Wes, trying to calm his mutterings over Calculus.

A half hour later, Nick and Jeff were curled up on the love seat, completely passed out and Wes had ended up storming out of the room in search of frozen waffles, which he swore aided in the studying process only to be followed by a grumbling David.

Blaine sat on his end of the couch as patiently as he could until Kurt finally set his book aside and stretched his arms above his head, letting out a massive yawn. Taking that as his signal, Blaine launched himself across the length of the couch into Kurt, wrapping his strong arms securely around his boyfriend.

Kurt spluttered out a surprised laugh and immediately returned the embrace. Blaine, practically purring as Kurt played with the curls at the edges of his hairline, pulled the taller teen down to lie down on his side. He instantly tangled their legs and fit himself into his chest, sighing contently.

"I take it you don't like studying?" Kurt giggled quietly, still running his fingers through the silky curls that had managed to escape.

"Not with you being your distracting self over there. I don't even stand a chance, with you sitting in the same room." The smile remained on his lips as he gently kissed Kurt's lips.

A smile overtook the chestnut haired boy's lips as well. He hummed happily and reciprocated the kiss with a kiss of his own. "Likewise."

They lay there, completely relaxed in the warm glow of the fireplace, listening to the soothing steadiness of Nick and Jeff's breathing and the ticking of the grandfather clock across the room. The fire crackled with comforting snaps and the trance of tranquility that had settled in the room, pulled heavily on their eyelids as they dreamily gazed at one another.

Finally breaking the peaceful silence, Kurt asked, "So, what are you doing for the holidays?"

Blaine lightly stroked his cheek with his thumb. Never ceasing, he answered, "I'm going to stay with my grandparents," a lazy smile widened over the relaxed one that had been lounging on his face, "they actually _enjoy _having me around for Christmas and New Year's, unlike my parents." He was in such a good mood that not even the mention of his folks, and their lack of acceptance, bothered him. "What about you?"

"Same old, same old," Kurt answered, his own slightly dopey grin overtaking the features on his face. "I'll stay with my family and help Carole in the kitchen and watch football with my dad, because that makes him happy, and just…I don't know, be merry?" He chuckled a little and nuzzled his nose lovingly into Blaine's hair.

Blaine hummed in agreement, reveling in the feeling of warmth, not just from the fire, but from his boyfriend, his lover, his best friend, curled around him.

"I want you to meet my grandparents," Blaine said. He hadn't really meant to vocalize that wish, but it was true non-the-less. He _did _want his grandparents to meet Kurt; they would love him.

"Really?" Kurt asked happily with an edge of nerves mingling in his voice. He knew how important Blaine's grandparents were to the curly-haired Warbler; this was sort of an honor. "I'd love to meet them too."

Blaine's grin only intensified as he pulled Kurt forward a few inches to kiss him sweet and slow. "New Years?" he asked, hoping he was making sense.

"Sounds perfect," Kurt smiled, eyes still closed as he leaned in to kiss his boyfriend…again…

*~Line Break~*

"You have the cookies I packed you?"

"Yes."

"And you have my presents for your aunt and uncle?"

"Yes."

"And you have your car keys?"

"Yes, dear!"

Jeff laughed as he dropped his suitcases and looped his arms around Nick's waist, pulling him in close.

"I have everything I need; stop worrying!"

Nick just pouted and, instead of going on a tirade, decided to lunge forward and crash his lips into the slightly taller boy's.

"I can't help it, it's in my nature!" he huffed when he finally pulled back, arms still loosely wrapped around Jeff's neck.

Jeff just smiled and cupped his cheek gently. "Nick, you do know that you're joining me in 4 days, right?"

Since Nick wasn't "cured" yet, he wasn't allowed home for the holidays. It used to bother him, but it had been years since he had been home to see his family, and the burn eased rather quickly when he realized he didn't have to go home just to be ridiculed and ostracized anymore. Jeff's aunt and uncle lived out in Wyoming and had handled his coming out rather graciously and still accepted him with open arms. When Nick became part of the package deal, he was extended the same courtesy. Ever since freshman year, Nick had accompanied Jeff to his aunt and uncles for winter break. However, Nick always insisted that Jeff go a few days before him, so that Jeff could get in some good old fashioned family time. Jeff thought it was unnecessary, but Nick was adamant, and had remained so over the years.

"I know," Nick said bashfully, busying his hands by needlessly straightening Jeff's scarf, "but, I'm just going to miss you…and,and…it's so far away, and…Oh, dammit, it's the holidays! I'm allowed to be overly sentimental!" He pouted cutely at Jeff who just smiled and laughed.

"And you always are, love, you always are."

*~Line Break~*

"I hate goodbyes…"

"I know…me too…"

Wes and David shuffled awkwardly until launching into the biggest bro-hug known to man. They clapped each other loudly on the back and pulled away to puff out their chests, trying to emphasize their manliness as tears pooled in their eyes.

A car pulled up to the sidewalk and David threw a glance at it before turning back to Wes.

"Well," he said uncertainly, staring at his feet, "this is me." He thrust a thumb behind him to indicate the car.

Wes nodded mutely, biting his quivering lip.

"Well…I guess I'll see ya,"

"Not if I see you first." David answered quietly.

They both stood their ground for a few tense seconds before crashing into each other in another massive hug. Tears leaking out of their eyes, they finally pulled apart and stuttered their goodbyes.

*~Line Break~*

"And we're sure they're not gay?" Kurt asked with a raised eyebrow as he and Blaine watched Wes and David's goodbye exchange from a little distance across the parking lot.

"No," Blaine assured, "we're not sure of anything between those two." He smiled and kissed Kurt tenderly on the lips, effectively shifting the conversation away from the wacky dynamic duo.

"So I'll see you on the day before New Year's Eve, right?" Kurt asked, anxious to make the trip to Columbus and meet Blaine's Gran and Gramps.

"That's the plan!" he replied happily. He was leaning in to kiss his boyfriend again when a car horn blared beside them.

"Dad!" Kurt reprimanded, scolding playfully at his father in the driver's seat. "Well, I guess it's time for me to get going," he said, landing his eyes on Blaine.

Kurt's magnetic gaze instantly locked Blaine in place as Kurt leaned forward slowly and just as he was about to kiss Blaine, he stopped. Whispering seductively, "I'll see you later," directly over his lips, Kurt suddenly leaned back, and smirked, fully enjoying his new found teasing capabilities.

Blaine stood stalk still, stunned as can be. He helped Kurt load his bags into the bed of the pickup and waved to Burt in a strange haze. As the truck finally pulled out of the parking lot, whisking his love away, Blaine shook off his shock some and wished that the next week would just be done already.

*~Line Break~*

The whole house radiated warmth and love, so unlike his childhood home.

Blaine shuffled into the kitchen in the early morning hours. The house had an almost log cabin like feel; cozy and inviting. The walls that weren't actual wood were painted warm colors such as deep reds and oranges. Large oriental rugs of similar warm color schemes coated majority of the floors since the hard wood floors were chilly in the winter. Blaine didn't mind, however, as he padded barefoot to the coffee machine, pouring himself a large mug of the piping hot brew.

The entire back wall of the kitchen was made of floor to ceiling windows that overlooked a stunning view of the beautiful winter-esque forest; completely devoid of neighbors and noise. It was one of the most peaceful places Blaine had ever found on this Earth.

He sat on a tall stool, sipping his coffee in his pajamas and robe as he stared contently out the windows.

"You're up early," a beautiful older woman smiled as she shuffled across the cold floors in her slippers. She was in her early seventies, but she could easily pass for 10 or 20 years younger. She was rather petite but didn't appear frail as older ladies often do when they stay slim. Her hair was completely silver and curly and pulled back into her signature bun, even at this early hour. It kept her thick and wild hair contained, yet a few strands always managed to slip out and rest around her face in a beautiful flowing way. Her eyes were a light brown with flecks of green thrown in, set in an olive toned skin.

Blaine just shrugged with a simple, relaxed smile as his Gran poured herself her own cup of coffee. Settling herself on the stool next to Blaine she nudged him playfully with her shoulder.

"Excited that Kurt's coming today?" A sly, knowing smile graced her lips and only grew more pronounced when Blaine blushed and ducked his head, trying to hide his dopey grin, and shrugging again.

"Well I know I am," Gran said in an unwaveringly certain voice. "Anyone who makes my grandson so happy must be pretty wonderful."

"He is," Blaine said quietly, looking up shyly, trying to gage her reaction. Gran just smiled kindly and patted his knee.

"Honey," she said patiently, "I'm not your parents. I'm not going to judge you for who you love. I'm not going to judge you, period."

Blaine let out a sigh and dragged his hand through his bed tousled curls, visibly relaxing. "I know, I know, it's just," he paused, trying to think of how to phase what he wanted to say. "Dalton is sort of a utopia. I can walk around- _we _can walk around- and not be teased or harassed or ridiculed. So I guess the moment I step off Dalton grounds, I'm expecting the world to give me some big, rude wake-up call and send a herd of homophobes my way."

"Well, not in my house." Gran said in her best stubborn old lady voice, causing Blaine to giggle like a child. Gran soon joined in, enjoying the easy laughter spilling from her grandson's mouth. She remembered a time when her grandson hadn't always smiled so easily. He hadn't always had such an easy life, but he had overcome hurdle after hurdle, and with this new Kurt guy, he seemed like he had never even known what pain was. She was already liking this Kurt kid.

"So tell me about him!" She bounced excitedly in her chair, eyes alight with curiosity. Blaine definitely suspected that he inherited the "puppy gene" from her.

Blaine giggled a little more and once again blushed. He stared down into his coffee cup as he spoke with a silly grin stretched across his face. "Um, well, his name's Kurt, as you know. He's my age, so he's 17 and he's kind and smart and funny…and…yeah." He fidgeted like a nervous school boy, confessing his first crush to his friends timidly.

Gran leveled him a look of disbelief and pursed her lips. It was scarily reminiscent of Kurt's 'Bitch, please' glare. "Details," she demanded sternly.

Letting out a great huff of air that would bring any house of straw or sticks down Blaine plunged ahead. "Alright! He's fabulous! He's tall and slender but he's not weak _at all_. He has these strong arms that reach for miles and his legs are probably twice as long as mine and just gorgeous._ He's _just gorgeous! He has these eyes that are blue and green and gray all at the same time and I don't even know how this is possible but they're gorgeous, and his hair is always perfect, whether it's styled or not. He sings like an angle and has a wicked sense of sarcastic, snarky humor that is hilarious coming out such an angelic looking man, yet he has the biggest heart I've ever seen and he's filled with such ambition and love and compassion and he's going to take the world by storm Gran, I just know it! The world's not going to know what hit them!" He stopped abruptly, suddenly wishing that Kurt were here right now, sitting on his other side.

Gran positively beamed as she watched her grandson run out of breath stringing compliments together. His eyes were shining with love and affection causing her heart to nearly swoon. "Oh Blaine," she sighed, staring adoringly at her baby boy that she loved so, so much. "you love him, don't you?" Of course she knew the answer to that question, but she just wanted to hear him say it. She was an old woman; humor her.

"Oh Gran," Blaine said in the same breathless tone, "of course I do. How could I not?"

Words didn't seem adequate anymore, so Gran just leapt off her stool with the grace of someone significantly younger than 70, and enveloped Blaine in a warm embrace, squeezing gently.

She pulled back, tears of pure jubilation causing her eyes to glitter. "Well then," she said, a large smile breaking through as she beamed at her grandson, "looks like I need to get ready then! I need to dress to impress today!"

"When do you not?" he replied happily, earning him a kiss on the nose as Gran shuffled off to her room, shouting over her shoulder, "Good answer!"

*~Line Break~*

Around two o'clock a door bell sounded through the grandparents' house.

"I got it, I got it, I got it!" Blaine yipped excitedly as he raced to the front door, Gran hot on his heels, until Gramps hooked his arm around her trim waist and yanked her back as Blaine continued on without notice.

"Hey!" Gran pouted as she watched Blaine slide around a corner and out of sight.

"Give the boys a minute, Lucy!" Gramps chuckled, kissing her fondly on the head as she squirmed anxiously.

"But I want to meet him!" she whined comically. Gran never really did act her age.

"And you will. Just let them…say hello…" Gramps said carefully, wondering how to say it. Thankfully Gran saved him the trouble by making kissy faces and giggling like she was a young girl. Gramps just smiled and eventually nodded his head. "Yeah, and do that too."

Blaine nearly slid into the door as his socked feet ran nearly frictionless over the waxed hardwood floor.

He quickly turned to the mirror that was right next to the front door and ran a hand through his hair, tousling the curls that his Gran refused to allow him gel while he stayed in her house. "My house, my rules," she would say, while carrying his gel bottles away, never to be seen again. He knew that Kurt liked his curls, but he just couldn't see how. Letting out a little sigh, Blaine eagerly flung the door open to reveal his favorite sight in the world.

Kurt stood wearing a pair of dark, sinfully tight skinny jeans, white Henley shirt, black vest that cinched in perfectly to show off his ridiculously tiny waist and a pair of black boots. His hair was to its usual status of perfection and his face nearly glowed with happiness as his eyes fell on Blaine.

"Hi," Blaine breathed out while taking the one stride forward required to close the gap between them. His lips found Kurt's desperately as he tried to pull Kurt as close as possible. Kurt responded affirmatively as he joined Blaine in the quest to wiggle himself as close as humanly possible. Or inhumanly possible. Whichever was closest, that's the one he was aiming for.

A cold gust of air brought them back to reality as they realized they had yet to close the door. Smiling radiantly, Blaine pulled Kurt inside and bent to pick up his bags from the front stoop, where he had dropped them. Kurt shut the door behind him and then looked up to see Blaine looking at him excitedly.

"Ready to meet my Gran and Gramps?" he bounced excitedly on his toes, eagerness dripping from his shining eyes.

"Um, sure," Kurt said nervously, smoothing his hair down self-consciously and biting his lower lip with uncertainty.

"Oh please," Blaine scoffed as he shifted both of Kurt's bags into one of his hands so he could take one of Kurt's hands into his own, linking their fingers. "You don't need to worry, they're going to love you," he began to lead him down the hall towards the living room.

They finally slipped through the doorway into the large, spacious living room, with its dark wood beams in the vaulted ceiling and humongous stone fire place already smoldering invitingly. This room, much like the kitchen, dining room and, well, just about every room in the house had large windows, and lots of them, allowing the silvery winter daylight to naturally light most of the house.

"Gran, Gramps, this is Kurt, my boyfriend." Blaine introduced proudly as Kurt stood a little shyly beside Blaine, almost a step behind, as if tempted to hide behind the shorter Warbler.

Gran jumped up excitedly and skipped over to the boys with a wide grin on her beautiful face. "Hello!" she sang merrily, going right up to Kurt and wrapping him in a motherly embrace. Kurt tensed for a moment before melting into the embrace, immediately comforted by the obvious acceptance, not just of his sexuality, but of _himself. _Gran pulled back, keeping one of Kurt's hands in each of her own and pulling them out to his sides as she openly looked him up and down, causing a light blush to stain his cheeks.

"Oh wow, Blaine wasn't kidding when he said you were gorgeous," she said with wide eyes and an impressed tone to her voice.

Kurt's blush only deepened at her compliment. "Thank you," he said shyly and then added with a little more confidence, "you have an absolutely stunning home," he openly gazed around the room with a look of admiration.

"Oh, thank you, doll," she said, dropping his hands and smiling up at him.

"Keep smiling so big and you're going to split that pretty little face of yours in two." Gramps smiled at Gran affectionately and slid an arm around her waist, tugging her close.

Gramps wasn't much taller than his petite wife, but he did have a much more solid frame. Build a tad stocky, he had worked manual labor for most of his life, lending to the still evident muscle definition he possessed in his arms even in his seventh decade. His hair had once been jet black, much like Blaine's and his father's (Gramps son), but was now a distinguished salt and pepper, with much more salt. His hair fell in loose waves, the curls slackening with age and being kept short. He had an easy going spirit about him and a smile that could melt ice.

Extending his hand, he introduced, "Welcome Kurt, I'm Blaine's grandfather, and this is his grandmother. You can just call us Gramps and Gran."

Kurt shook his hand strongly and nodded his head, "Thank you for having me, Gramps." Kurt couldn't help but giggle a little at the ease of the situation. All of his worrying seemed so silly now.

Blaine chuckled as Kurt obviously became comfortable and couldn't help himself. He rocked up onto his tiptoes and placed a small kiss on Kurt's cheek, earning him a smile and quick peck on the lips in return. They grinned stupidly at one another, completely forgetting they weren't alone.

Gramps cleared his throat and tried unsuccessfully to keep the smile off of his face. "Do you two want to take Kurt's things up to your room?"

Snapping out of it, Blaine turned a confused gazed onto his grandparents. His Gramps was smiling at the two boys while Gran was practically vibrating with happiness.

"Okay," Blaine answered, picking up Kurt's bags from where he laid them at his feet, "I'll show you to the guest room,"

"Oh, no honey," Gran smiled slyly, "I figured you and Kurt could just share a room." She shrugged as if it was no big deal, but examining her nail nonchalantly was enough overkill to reveal her innuendo.

"Wh-really?" Blaine asked excitedly and completely surprised. Kurt had a similar expression on his face as his eyes flickered between the three Anderson's in the room.

"Yes, really," Gran smiled, obviously proud of herself, "now go get those bags put away before your arms fall off, Blaine."

"This is actually packing _light _for Kurt," Blaine teased, although it _was _true. Two enormous bags had to be a new record for Kurt.

"Blaine, you have no room to talk! You need an entire bag just for your hair gel alone," Kurt quipped sassily.

Gran laughed gleefully, "He has a point, honey," she smiled up at Kurt, adding, "I've always told him that less is more, you only need-"

"-The size of a dime!" Kurt finished in unison with Gran, causing both of them to smile widely at one another, a spark settling in their eyes as a bond was visibly being formed between the two of them.

"But Blaine never seemed to understand that," Gran continued, "so I ended up just banning gel in my house all together. Hence, the curls," she said, pointed to Blaine's twisted tendrils.

Kurt turned to eye Blaine's hair as he had been so nervous up until now that he hadn't really noticed it. He fingered a curl and abruptly turned to Gran. "I love you." He deadpanned.

Gran just laughed giddily and hooked her arm through Kurt's, leading him to the kitchen as she began to chat animatedly.

"Oh no," Gramps said with mock fear as his eyes followed the pair, "I think your grandma's made a friend…"

"More like a partner in crime…" Blaine replied, smiling the biggest smile inside and out.

*~Line Break~*

Gran and Kurt ended up making one of the most spectacular dinner's ever held in their household; all three Anderson's assured Kurt of his profusely as they devoured the Baked Ziti, breadsticks, salad, and steamed mixed vegetables.

They stayed up late, watching the news while Gran and Kurt made horribly witty comments on everything the newscasters were saying or wearing. They had Gramps and Blaine in stitched nearly the entire evening with their banter and almost instant friendship. They were two peas in a pod.

Kurt's antics coupled with how seamlessly Kurt fit in with his favorite family members, and well, the only family that mattered to Blaine, had him staring at Kurt with a lovesick expression all night. He could feel the stars in his eyes and he just didn't care, because every time he caught Kurt's eye, he saw the same look reflected back in him. He just couldn't stop himself from touching Kurt as much as he possibly could. Wrapping his arms around his waist from behind as he stood at the stove, kissing his temple as Kurt passed the salad, holding him against his chest as the snuggled on the couch watching the news. Each and every little show of affection caused a chime of cooing noised to echo from Gran and a wide smile to grow on Gramps face.

By the end of the night, everyone was tired and so insanely happy that it really shouldn't have been possible, but somehow, it was.

Kurt and Blaine got ready for bed in a sleepy daze, too blissed out for words. After showering and moisturizing thoroughly, they fell into bed with identical sighs of content.

Blaine immediately enveloped Kurt in his strong arms, becoming the big spoon. Unable to resist his pale, smooth skin, he began trailing slow, sensual kisses across the back of Kurt's neck. Kurt whimpered quietly, aware that they were not alone in the house. However, Gran and Gramps room was across the house and on the first floor, where they were on the second floor , far away and with good insulation. Knowing this, Blaine starting sucking a patch of the delicious skin, marking it, determined to elicit a response from Kurt. He didn't have to wait too long as Kurt let out a moan verging on needy.

In the blink of an eye, Kurt turned around inside Blaine's arms, until he was facing the curly headed boy. Lust clouded Blaine's eyes as he saw his boyfriend's hungry stare. But before he could take the initiative himself, he felt a weight on his chest and a pressure on his lips as Kurt rolled on top of him and attacked his mouth with fervor.

The passionate assault from Kurt's mouth had Blaine's hands flying to remove Kurt's t-shirt and Kurt eagerly repeated the action on Blaine. Soon their pants and boxers joined the tangle of clothes and their limbs tangled together in frantic, loving caresses and embraces.

Blaine ended up on top, slowly and tenderly rocking in and out of Kurt; their eyes locked and their hands intertwined. They sped up, finding the perfect angles and rhythms, and savoring the sounds that rang out between them. When they could hold on no longer, they shook with their climaxes and held onto each other for dear life; riding it out, together.

They quickly cleaned up and collapsed, tangled together in an exhausted and sated heap. Blaine carded his fingers lightly through Kurt's disheveled hair as the angelic boy gazed lethargically at him with a relaxed smile on his kiss swollen lips.

"Thanks for letting me come here," Kurt whispered, so close to sleep, his eyes beginning to flutter.

"Of course," Blaine whispered back, stroking his face lovingly.

"It's sort of perfect here…" Kurt said dreamily, letting out a big yawn and snuggling closer into Blaine, who just tightened his grip around the tall, slender boy.

"You're sort of perfect," Blaine said sappily, knowing that it would earn him a giggle from Kurt, and an eye roll if he were more awake.

A breathy chuckle slid from Kurt's lips as his eyes finally fluttered closed, "I love you," he sighed happily, his smile relaxing further as he got closer and closer to sleep.

Blaine dropped a kiss on Kurt's forehead and nuzzled their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. "I love you too," he replied.

Kurt sighed contently as Blaine placed another kiss on the tip of his nose, oh so gently, not wanting to disrupt the boy's slow and steady breathing.

"I'm going to marry you one day," Blaine whispered, more to himself than to the sleeping boy in his arms.

"Hmmm," the not-so-sleeping boy breathed dreamily, seemingly liking that idea.

Blaine froze, suddenly very sure. There would never be another moment like this. Sure, there would be plenty _like _it, but this particular moment would only happen once. And in this moment, it felt right, it felt perfect; it was _the _moment.

"Kurt…will you marry me?"

Kurt's eyes snapped wide open, suddenly very awake.

**The End**

…**for now…**

**A/N: That's right folks, there will be a sequel! I had a few people express an interest in it, so I think it's happening! You want to know what really swayed my vote? Gran! She came out of nowhere! I always knew I was going to have her come into the story towards the end, but I didn't anticipate loving her so much and being so fun to write for! However, I'm going to try writing another story, unrelated to this one (but still Klaine) first, so I'm not sure when a sequel is going to happen. Anyways, there's an epilogue for this story, so hang tight! Once again, thanks for being the best readers anyone could ever ask for and I hope you review and PM me and have awesome lives, but most of all, I hope to see you guys again! I love you all!**


	34. Epilogue

**A/N: Oh, wow, so I miss you guys and this story like…A-FREAKING-LOT! So it looks like the sequel is going to be happening sooner than I expected! I'll explain more in the end Author's note! As always, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**Epilogue**

Eventful didn't even _begin _to describe Kurt's evening. He had driven up to this absolutely storybook looking house that he instantly wanted to explore with both a child-like fascination and his keen interior designer's eye. The architecture was intriguing and warm and utterly beautiful.

After his nerves proved to be unfounded, he settled into the very real reality that Blaine's Gran and Gramps really seemed to like him just as much as he liked them. They were inviting and incredibly hospitable. A rather nice change to what usually met Kurt in new social settings.

They had all enjoyed each other's company and shared not only a delicious meal, but plenty of laughs and an astounding amount of common interests. Kurt loved his family to no end, but he was so glad to be able to include these wonderful people in his patchwork type of family. He also found himself silently thanking them for being so supportive and loving Blaine when it seemed like he hadn't had anyone else. This only made him like them more. Oh, who was he kidding, he loved Gran and Gramps. No use denying it.

_Then, _as if that wasn't enough to equal an incredibly exhausting day, he and Blaine had been allowed to share a room, and, well, come on, let's get real, it's not like _nothing _was going to happen. Especially since they were in a place that seemed to not only foster their love, but push it forward.

Sated and blissful beyond his wildest dreams, Kurt didn't think that his day could possibly contain any more surprises.

And then Blaine dropped a bomb.

Marriage? _Marriage!?_

They were in high school for crying out loud! They lived in Ohio; it wasn't even legal! What would Kurt tell his parents? What would Blaine tell _his _parents? What would their friends think?

Kurt's head had swirled with so many questions and so much confusion. This was never supposed to happen to him! He wasn't the kind of person that was ever going to have to think about marriage in _high_ _school_! Or really at all; not until he got out of Ohio.

But then again, Blaine was never supposed to happen either.

Kurt had convinced himself that he wasn't the kind of guy who would ever find a loving, caring man who would be willing to, let alone _want _to put up with him for a lifetime.

But then, in walked Blaine who blew all of his expectations out of the water. In walked this man with too much gel and equal parts wisdom and enthusiasm. So unlike anyone he had ever met. Kurt could honestly say that Blaine was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

But at the end of the day, they were in _high school!_ That was way too young to be contemplating forever, right?

Only the stupid or crazy would say yes, Kurt reasoned, and he was most definitely _not _stupid.

**A/N: Hey everyone! So, I thought to myself, "Self, you really should take a break this month and just wait until everything calms down!" and for a while, that sounded rather dandy! But then I tried it. And it's not very fun. I miss you guys, and I miss the cuteness of Klaine and Niff and the antics of the epic bromance that is Wevid. So here's the plan my friends; I'm going to attempt the wildly stupid and over ambitious task of writing two fanfics at once! There will be my second fanfiction (I posted the prologue right after this for a sneak peak!) and the sequel to J1L, which, hold one to your hats people, will have the first chapter posted by midnight tonight! It's called "In Your Eyes" so keep **_**your**_** eyes peeled…see what I did there?...Anyways, see you soon! Love you guys!**


	35. One of those Moments Prologue

**A/N: Hello! This story has just been practically writing itself in my brain, so I thought it was time to actually type it out and do something with it! It's going to be pretty angsty, but I'm hoping that it has a lot of heart to it too. It will have some pretty cute moments in it, but the only way I can think to describe this type of fluff is as follows: I don't want it to give you a toothache, I want it to give you a bellyache; I want it to go deeper. Does that make any sense? Anyways, I'm going to leave you alone and let you do some reading! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Prologue**

It's one of those moments

When you know you'll stand your ground

Whether that makes you brave or foolish

And you know beyond a doubt

That you won't move until you _know_ they aren't coming back

When you'll wait and hope that they'll look back

Or turn around

When you pray that they'll realize it's all a mistake

And then _you _realize that the mistake might not be in leaving

But it had been in staying

It's one of those moments

It's one of those moments

When you know letting go is the right thing

But it doesn't make it any easier

When it takes every bit of strength you didn't know you had

To keep your feet planted firmly in the ground

It's the second you realize that you'll have to live off of memories now

And you can't tell if you should be grateful for them

Or wish you had never made them at all

It's one of those moments

It's one of those moments

When you wonder what you could have one to prevent this

You wonder what you did wrong

When you doubt you were ever worth it

And you're confused why they even stayed as long as they did

Because if you're not strong enough

Or special enough

Or smart enough

Or anything

If _you are nothing, _why did they stay

And what made them leave

It's one of those moments

It's one of those moments

When you realize freedom isn't what you want anymore

You just want them

It's one of those moments

Kurt heard the rain falling against the window panes in a multitude of hard slaps. The whole apartment was saturated with gray as the night's darkness permeated the small space. Come to think of it, the place was pretty much gray even in daylight. The dull, dim oppression that seemed to tinge the very air gave the spotless apartment the feeling of a prison. Or perhaps Kurt was just projecting his feelings onto everything.

Letting out a stifled yawn, Kurt winced as his stretching caused his every limb to ache.

He was tired and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed next to Spencer. He wanted to curl up under the warm comforter and have Spencer encircle him in his arms and whisper sweet nothings into his ear until he fell asleep. But he knew that wasn't an option.

He felt the cut on his eyebrow still bleeding slightly from the book he had thrown at him earlier, and he knew it wasn't an option.

He felt the bruises up and down his spine from a year ago; they had never been given a chance to heal, and he knew it wasn't an option.

He felt the lump in his throat and the fear that was always in his heart and knew it wasn't an option.

It would never be an option because Spencer didn't love him. Love didn't hurt like this. Love didn't make you bleed and bruise. Sure, love made you cry and scream and fight and fuck and say stupid things, but it didn't make you need stitches or break your bones.

It had been a whole year of this shit, and Kurt was tired. Plain and simple; just bone tired. And if he ever wanted some sleep, he needed to leave, and never turn around; never look back.

His whole body ached and his mind was spinning so fast that the whole world seemed to spin with it; nothing made any sense.

In a rare moment of clarity though, Kurt knew, beyond a doubt, that he needed to escape while he could.

So before he could change his mind, he gathered his courage and slipped out of the apartment's door into the cold, dark corridor, while the beast slept in the bedroom.

He stepped into the pouring rain and took a deep breath.

He felt clean.

He felt something that he distantly remembered to be hope; he hadn't felt it in so long.

He looked at the dark street and let his eyes drift down the New York road to the lights of shops and restaurants. Like a moth to flame, he gravitated to the motion of the city that never sleeps.

He walked forward, and didn't look back.

**A/N: I know it's not much to go off of yet, but what do you think so far? Leave a review or PM me! I hope to have the first chapter up in less than a week!**


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